I Promise
by ForbiddenSweets
Summary: If you had the chance to be with the girl of your dreams, would you take that chance? Would you put your life in harm's way? Even if she was the enemy? Daryl Yan would. Tsugumi was just that perfect for him. However, an apocalyptic war might just complicate things a bit.
1. Your Name

_Your Name_

Chief Segai was calmly relaxing in his rolling chair, doing some crossword puzzle on his outdated cellphone, slowly spinning from left to right every now and then. He shot a devilish grin at his colleague, Rowan. "So tell me, Rowan, how's Ouma Shu doing?"

He quickly reported, "Ouma Shu has... How do I put this? Snapped? Also, chief, Menjou, Hare has been reported to be dead. You are quite a perverse man, Chief Segai."

"Haven't I already told you this before? Don't flatter me too much." Segai smiled, "I intend to shake things up a bit more. I want to completely _break_ Ouma Shu. Anyways, it'll be boring if I don't. In our current position, we can't interfere _directly_, as I've said before, but I don't think they'll have a problem with me having a little fun, no?"

Rowan stiffened, "So... What do you intend to do this time, Chief?"

Segai stroked his chin in deep thought, "I'm not exactly sure at the moment..."

"Let me think for a while. In the meantime, send Daryl undercover. I'm bored, so maybe I can get _some _entertainment out of this. Now... Back to this crossword puzzle."

* * *

><p>Daryl Yan strolled through the campus, trying to avoid any physical contact whatsoever. <em>It's quiet...<em> _At least they're not holding a dumb festival this time... _he thought. His mind quickly wandered to an image of the "runt" he met when he went undercover the first time. _If Ouma Shu is alive, then she must be as well, right? But... How? _He finally took notice of his surroundings and saw something completely different from the last time he came. It was a dark, desolate place. Students patrolled many areas carrying voids, and everyone looked miserable. _Maybe she's around here somewhere?_

He quickly shook his head. _No, no, no! I shouldn't get my hopes up..._ Daryl took a seat on a nearby bench and sighed, still deep in thought. _I said I would torment her, but, really, all I want to do right now is see her face. _ He could distinctly remember her appearance. Her sharp eyes, her long hair, the color of midnight, those fake cat ears which were strangely very attractive on her, and her smile. Last but not least, her attitude. She was just so friendly. It was almost overwhelming.

To help pass the time, Daryl decided to call Segai to check in with him. He opened his near-empty contact list and called him.

"_Oi,_ I've arrived at the school campus. Is there anything you want me to do specifically?" Daryl asked.

Chief Segai exclaimed, "Ah! That's great! But really, there's nothing in particular that I want you to do..."

Daryl furrowed his eyebrows, "...Then what exactly was the point of sending me here?"

"That's because I was bored– Actually! You know what? Here's a mission for you since you're absolutely no fun: Befriend the Funeral Parlor members. Get into their inner circle, and try to learn as much about them as you can. Report to me every now and then to share with me what you've discovered. This may help my schemes in the future. I trust that even _you_ are capable of making friends? Now, don't go and disappoint me Daryl Yan. You proved to me in our last mission that you can_ probably_ still pull the trigger. I trust that you can do something as simple as this. By the way... Your mysophobia is a serious issue you need to deal with."

"Understood. And... I _CAN _MAKE FRIENDS!" Daryl shouted and muttered, "And my mysophobia isn't that bad..."

Then he hung up.

He leaned back, massaged his forehead and groaned, "He can be such a pain in the ass sometimes... But first thing's first... I can make friends without physical contact right? Wait... No one in this school is actually _contaminated _and _infected_, right? They only quarantined it because Funeral Parlor members were hiding out here, right? But what if the germs... _touch_ me?"

Daryl cringed at the thought of being touched by a human being.

His chain of thought got interrupted when he heard an all-too-familiar voice.

"Hey! It's you!"

Alarmed, Daryl quickly jerked his head to his left. He looked up to see a familiar face. _That runt!_

"Y-You!"

Tsugumi laughed, "Ho, ho! I see you remember me! I haven't seen you around lately. Come back for more candy?"

Daryl was about to explode from anger, but he restrained himself from tackling her to the ground. He slowly breathed in and out and readjusted his glasses.

"So what are you doing here?"

"Coincidence. I was just walking around, and I saw you!"

She put her hands on her hips and shifted her weight to one side, "And you? What are you doing here?"

He snapped back, "Why do you need to know what I'm doing right now? And shouldn't you be with your friends, those Funeral Parlor guys?"

There was a long silence, and her bright smile turned into a frown. "It's Shu. Ever since Hare died, Shu has been so harsh and strict on everyone, almost like a _tyrant_. He treats and looks at us all very coldly, except Inori though. It's almost scary, but why am I telling you all of this?"

Daryl just sat there and stared into her eyes, leaning forward, taking in everything she had to say. Normally he wouldn't care about people's problems and probably completely disregard their feelings and bluntly tell them, "Shut up! You're annoying! Get out of my sight before I kill you!" But, this time, he just felt the urge to listen to her voice and just... _listen_.

He stared intently into her eyes and said, "I don't know. Why are you?" He continued, "Besides, you should be with your friends if you're upset. Aren't you... What's the word... Lonely without them?"

"Hmph. Lonely? Why would _I _be lonely? Besides, you don't know anything about me." Tsugumi said with a sense of superiority.

_I'm not... lonely, right? Inoreen says that loneliness feels cold and empty, but I don't feel cold. Really... I still don't understand her._

"Anyways... Not like I see them as much as Aya-nee. Shu always keeps me in the kitchen peeling vegetables. I _hate_ it. Anyways, don't you have friends to be with?"

"No... I have no friends here..."

All of a sudden, Tsugumi's eyes widened as if she had reached an epiphany of sorts, "I know! I can introduce you to them! Maybe Shu still has some good left in him, right? Maybe you can help change him too! It'll probably involve a lot of convincing though... So... What do you think?"

"M-Me?" Daryl asked, stunned by her sudden request. _If I say yes, we can become friends, right? Not like I want to become friends with this runt, but it's a good thing, right? I mean. I'm doing what Segai asked me to... But I don't want to sound too happy. That's just not me. Ah crap. I need to cover this up somehow..._

"Me... Me... MYSOPHOBIA!" Daryl yelled. "Yes! I have Mysophobia!"

Tsugumi raised an eyebrow, "Hm? Mysophobia, eh... I can help! Before I introduce you, I'll cure you of your mysophobia. Just stay still for a moment!"

"F-Fine..."

Tsugumi bent over, her face now in front of Daryl's. _W-Why is her face so close to mine right now? What the hell is she trying to do? _She then poked his cheek.

"Poke!" She giggled.

_Stay calm, Daryl... She's not infected, right? If she were, it'd be very obvious. Yes, Daryl. It is perfectly okay... Perfectly... Perfectly... Okay. Sure! There are germs all over her finger. No big deal... _Daryl took deep breaths. _In... and out... In... and out..._

Tsugumi removed her finger and grinned, "Not so bad, right?"

Daryl looked away from her, trying to avoid eye contact, "Y-Yeah... Are we done yet?"

"Nope!"

Scared for his well-being, Daryl ran behind a tree. He poked his head out to see that Tsugumi was casually walking towards him. A few feet away from the tree, she glared at Daryl, "Come on! GET BACK HERE! I'm trying to help you!

"GOD DAMMIT! STOP IT! LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"No!" She screamed back, "Come on, Daryl... I'm trying to help you. How can you make friends with _mysophobia_?"

"I-I don't care! Just don't touch me with your filthy hands!" Daryl screamed.

Tsugumi proceeded to close in on Daryl, invading his personal space. Daryl, clearly paranoid at the moment, was about to run as far as he could, away from her.

She reassured him, "Don't worry! Just stay still! I'm not going to hurt you or anything. Sheesh. And I'm not infected! No one here is. Well. Only the F-Ranks are, but that's another story. Besides, most of us have taken a vaccine within the past week or so, but we're kind of running low on vaccines... But that doesn't matter right now! Anyways, just trust me!"

Tsugumi smiled and purposely put herself millimeters away from his body.

"Just... stay still! For at least five more seconds."

Five seconds passed, and another silence ensued. Tsugumi thought her plan was successful until Daryl sprinted back to the bench, looking like he was going to scream any second. Tsugumi sighed, "I won't stop until you get over your mysophobia."

She cautiously approached Daryl and was about a meter away. Just as Daryl was about to make his escape, Tsugumi made one final dash and pulled him into an embrace. She wrapped her arms around his waist, and Daryl stopped in his tracks. _W-Why is she hugging me? Why won't this runt just leave me alone? Why? She's so annoying, but why do I feel... happy? Why is she hugging my waist? Hugging... me..._

_She's hugging me?_

Daryl's face grew hot. "L-Let go of me, runt!"

"No! And stop calling me runt!"

"Well! What do you want me to call you, _chibi_!"

"Not runt! Not chibi! TSU-GU-MI! And you! What's your name?" Tsugumi yelled, carefully articulating every syllable in her name.

"And why do _I_ need to tell _you_ anything, you god damn annoying runt," Daryl yelled back, "Let go!"

Tsugumi hugged him even harder, "No! Not until... You tell me... your _NAME_!"

"Tch..."

"Well?" Tsugumi asked harshly.

"MY NAME IS DARYL! DARYL! AND YOU BETTER REMEMBER IT!" He screamed, trying to escape her tight grip. "NOW LET ME GO, YOU BITCH!"

Tsugumi just smiled, "Oh! Such vulgar language! How sca~ry." She teased. Her smile turned into a scowl. "Now! What's my name! Say it! Now!"

"...Tsugumi," he muttered under his breath. Pleased, Tsugumi began to tease him, "Hm? What's that? I didn't quite catch that."

"Tsugumi," Daryl said, very articulately, stressing out every syllable. "Now let me go!"

Tsugumi giggled and let go of Daryl's waist, "That wasn't so bad, _desho_? Now for the final challenge of the day! Now it's your turn to hug me!"

"W-Wha? Why! You just hugged me for five whole minutes!"

"You gotta take initiative, Daryl!" Tsugumi said, stressing out every syllable of his name, obviously mocking him.

"Fine!... Stupid runt."

Daryl gave in to her request and reluctantly put his arms around her. He pulled her in closer and closer, until her head was resting on his chest. Daryl blushed. _This is kind of... embarrassing..._ He could feel Tsugumi's calm breathing and her body's warmth pressed onto him. Tsugumi's face softened, "See? That wasn't so bad." She could hear and feel his heart beat. _It's... calming._ She closed her eyes and listened for what seemed like an eternity.

Daryl looked down at her and said, "_Oi_! You better not fall asleep on me! Really... What are you doing, and when can I let go? Dammit! I really don't get you!"

"Almost done..."

Seconds felt like minutes, and minutes felt like hours. Daryl sighed. _ I know I really wanted to see her, but it was just to reassure myself. I didn't ask for this! _He was literally screaming in his head. He was so deep in thought, he couldn't hear Tsugumi. Her voice was fuzzy and it sounded like she was waking him up from a dream. He snapped back into reality and heard Tsugumi screaming.

"_DARYL!_"

Surprised, he looked down at Tsugumi, "W-what?"

"You can let go now..."

"O-Oh!" Daryl let go of her, his face slowly turning redder. "S-Sorry... I wasn't listening." Trying to be harsh so he could cover up how he really felt, he interjected, "Your voice isn't significant enough for my ears to take notice of!"

Tsugumi slowly nodded, not believing a single thing he said, "Mmhmm... Sure... Whatever you say, Daryl."

Daryl sighed and took a seat on the bench. Tsugumi followed and sat next to him. She gazed at the sky and was thinking. _Daryl... His name is Daryl. What a coincidence. He has the same name as Daryl Yan... Could he be him? Could he be working undercover for the GHQ? No... He seems too nice. Daryl is a cold-blooded killer. This Daryl is too... _Tsugumi closed her eyes and took a deep breath. _...Too gentle... But then again... I should make sure before I come to any conclusions. _Tsugumi took another deep breath and asked, "Your name is Daryl, right? That's kind of funny! You coincidentally share the same name as Daryl Yan! He's supposed to be some cold-blooded killer who works for the GHQ. Have you heard of him?"

Daryl's eyes widened in shock. _Shit! How does she know? Or is she just curious? What should I do? It feels like... Feels like... Shit just hit the fan. But... She won't judge me or rat me out if I told her, or would she? _

"So... He's a cold-blooded killer? In what way?" Daryl asked, curious to see what she thought.

"He mercilessly murders people. He's an evil person, right?"

Daryl gazed into her eyes. _Evil, huh..._

Tsugumi noticed Daryl staring into her eyes and blushed. "W-Why are you looking at me like that?"

He opened his mouth to say something but quickly stopped and turned his head away.

"I think..." He began to say.

"So... You think what?"

Daryl turned his head back around and stared into her eyes one more time, but, this time, he had a lonely expression on his face, "I think he's just... misunderstood."

Tsugumi then looked Daryl in the eyes and gently spoke, "Daryl... I-I didn't know. I'm sorry. But..." Tsugumi stood up and turned her back towards him, "But... You're the enemy. If Shu knows about this, he would probably kill me. However..." Tsugumi stopped talking and twirled around to face Daryl. Smiling, she gladly said, "However, I'll keep this a secret! It'll be our own little secret. Just you and me will know about this!"

Daryl looked down at the ground, "Y-You... Run– I mean... Tsugumi..." He looked up at her, "Why?"

"Because we're friends!" She proudly announced. "And friends stick together!"

"Now... Tell me about your mission. You're here for a reason, right? And you were here for a reason last time as well. Tell me, and I'll keep this a secret," Tsugumi said, taking a seat next to Daryl again. She looked at Daryl, waiting for a response.

He sighed, "Well... I was sent here to learn more about the Funeral Parlor members, and the first time I came here, I was supposed to confirm whether you guys were here or not."

"I see," Tsugumi said, bending over, putting her arms on her knees, "Well. It won't hurt to tell you about ourselves. Okay. Let's get started! You better have a good memory because I won't repeat this twice!" She cleared her throat and began to to tell Daryl everything she felt like she could tell him, "Let's start with Aya, otherwise known as, Ayase, whom you almost killed, but I'll forgive you this time. Although she's disabled and is always in a wheelchair, she kicks butt! She's very independent. She _hates_ depending on others and doesn't see her paralysis as a disability at all. She's very strong physically and mentally. Next is Inoreen. She's very gentle and kind. However, she doesn't really show a lot of emotion. She can be kind of clueless though. She doesn't really understand emotions very well. She's really pretty though! She's like a living _doll_! Anyways, moving on! Next is Ouma Shu. He used to be one of those weak boys who would always try hard no matter what. He's the kind of kid who'll do anything for the girl he loves. In this case, it's Inoreen. Well, that's what he _used_ to be. Now he's just some tyrant. He has the power to draw voids and uses it to his advantage. I, personally, think he's abusing his powers. And finally, me. However, that's for you to interpret yourself."

Daryl quickly nodded and thanked Tsugumi for her information. He stood up and called Segai.

"Segai, I have received all the information you asked me to get."

He replied, "Good, Daryl. Come back to HQ immediately. I wish to know what you've learned."

"Understood." Daryl firmly said before hanging up. He turned to Tsugumi, "Well, I have to go now." He blushed a little and continued, "T-Thank you..."

He quickly turned around and said good-bye. Tsugumi ran towards him and tugged on the back of his shirt.

"W-Will I see you again?" She asked while sadly looking down.

Daryl turned around and, strangely, smiled, "We'll meet again. Trust me. I'll come back when I'm given another mission to go undercover. Sheesh. Stupid runt, being demanding until the end."

He turned around and left, "See ya."

Tsugumi smiled and waved, "Bye-bye! You better come back soon!"

Daryl left the school grounds and smiled the whole way back to the GHQ.

* * *

><p>Daryl informed Segai of everything he had learned from Tsugumi. After telling Segai about Shu, he proceeded to tell Segai about Tsugumi.<p>

"And, finally, there's Tsugumi. I didn't really learn anything incredibly specific about her, but she's very _interesting_. In fact, I actually got to talk to her for a bit. She's a very _happy_ person. She always takes initiative. She seems kind of lonely though. Apparently, she seems very close to Ayase and is not happy with how Shu is turning into a tyrant. She's a bit too friendly and has no sense of personal space. She's a good runt though. I also cured my mysophobia. Anyways, why do you need to know all of this again? It feels like a completely waste of time."

Segai decided to explain to Daryl what he was trying to do, "You see, Daryl, there are a lot of things you can _mentally _and _emotionally_ do to a person. You can use their personalities to your advantage, and eventually, you can break them. It's like slowly killing themselves on the inside. Only, the best part about this is that it's _them_ who are tearing themselves apart."

"Hm... Oh. I see. That sounds pretty cruel. Just like yourself," Daryl responded.

Segai laughed and remarked, "Oh. And Daryl?"

"Hm?"

"You've been looking a lot livelier since you came back. Something good happen?"

"Just glad my mysophobia got cured. That's all." Daryl responded while exiting the room, secretly smiling to himself, remembering every last detail of their embrace.

* * *

><p>"<em>Love is the best medicine."<em>

**Please R&R! This was my first Guilty Crown fanfic! To be honest, I don't think I'm that great of a writer, but I hope I can improve while I write this story! I'm not sure how many chapters it's going to have, but I have the next 2 planned out. What I realized is that every time I write a fanfic/story in general, it's very dialogue oriented. Just saying that ahead of time. Anyways. I LOVE THIS PAIRING TO DEATH. I WILL GO DOWN WITH THIS SHIP! Before I go on about the story itself, I just want to put this out there: THEY NEED AN OFFICIAL NAME. I DUB THEM DARGUMI. DARGUMI WILL CATCH ON! ...I hope it does ; A ; ANNYWAAYSS.**

**I can probably write the next 2 chapters really fast since I already have the important details planned out for those, but I don't want to write them until the next episode or 2 comes out. I want to see where they're trying to go with this pairing. It was a little difficult to write this and keep Daryl in character, but I guess it's fine since Daryl is probably going to do a whole 180 in the show eventually. He's starting to dramatically change, and he's kind of a tsundere, so I guess I might just leave him like this throughout most of the story. Thank you all for reading! If you have any suggestions, message me or leave them in your reviews. **


	2. Flustered

**Sorry for the long wait! I originally planned to rewrite Chapter 1 because of what happened in Episode 18, but I think that I'll just go my own direction in this story. I think after the series ends, I'll write another story about these two, but I'll make it based of the original story instead.**

* * *

><p><em>Flustered<em>

It was a regular day. About a week had passed since Daryl's encounter with Tsugumi, and conditions were slowly getting worse and worse at the school. Food rations were low, they were almost entirely out of vaccines, and Shu had begun to completely seclude himself from his friends and the students. All the F-Rank students were now infected by the Apocalypse Virus. However, the virus had not developed to an extremely life threatening stage yet. Things were a mess and Shu was still ineffectively leading the students, truly becoming a tyrant. Tsugumi was still stuck peeling vegetables in the kitchen, and the S-Rank students would punish any students who spoke up against Shu and his ways.

Tsugumi had finished her work for today and decided to go outside for some fresh air again. She checked in with an S-Rank student and got permission to leave her station. Strolling to a very familiar bench, she gazed at the sky and wondered when Daryl was going to come back. She sighed, knowing that he probably wouldn't get another mission soon. However, she was proven wrong. She stopped in her tracks when she saw an awfully familiar blonde-haired boy. He jerked his head in a particular fashion, which she noticed that he seemed to do a lot, and stared at her with his bright purple eyes.

"Ah. It's you, runt. What are you doing out here so late?" Daryl asked.

Tsugumi sighed, "So you're still using that nickname..." She shrugged, "Oh well. Not like it matters anyways, and to answer your question, I finished my work for today. I just wanted to get some fresh air. I hate being in that building. It's so depressing. Anyways, since you're here, that must mean that you're here for information, right? So tell me what you need to know."

"I don't need your help! I can do this myself. All I have to do is observe the actions of the Secret Service and find out their purpose."

Tsugumi laughed, "Haha! Good for you! Nice knowing that you can observe people without my help. Here's the thing though: they'll probably recognize that you're not a student of this school. They have a list of everyone with their name, their rank, and how strong their void is, so I suggest you accept my kind offer. As you can see, I'm a very _generous_and _kind_ young lady. You should just shut up and accept my kindness like a good kid."

Daryl stared at the ground, realizing the position he was in, crossed his arms and slightly pursed his lips, "Fine... So here's my first question: What exactly is the Secret Service?"

"Well..." Tsugumi began, taking a seat next to Daryl. She flattened her skirt and continued her explanation, "Think of it as an army of voids. This place is a kingdom of voids. A kingdom by voids and for voids. We also have a class system of sorts. The stronger your void, the better you are treated, your health is more prioritized as well. The lower your rank, the less your health is prioritized. This is why the F-Ranks are given the harder work, and they don't get vaccines. Just about all the F-Ranks are infected by the virus now because of that."

Daryl, shocked, jumped a bit, "That means... _You lied!_ There are infected people at this school!"

With an annoyed look on her face, she said, "Daryl... You're not even within a 50 foot radius of them. Seriously. There's nothing to be scared of. You're vaccinated." She continued her explanation, "Anyways! Continuing where I left off... Do you see those students patrolling the school grounds?" Tsugumi asked, pointing at a girl holding her void, a large, white scythe, with purple crystal-like structures embedded on it. Daryl nodded and Tsugumi continued again, "They are S-Rank students. Their voids are the strongest. Think of them like Shu's personal bodyguards. Once you are an S-Rank, you are nothing more than a dumb bodyguard on a leash, blindly following your master's orders. And that girl? She's a prime example of that. She practically idolizes him. She'll do anything- and I mean _anything_ for Shu. Her void's pretty damn awesome though."

Daryl slowly nodded, trying to process all the information Tsugumi has provided him. "So is that all? Is that basically it?"

Tsugumi nodded, "Mmmhmm!"

"Hmph. I see. Well this felt like a waste of time. I didn't think I would be done this quick though." Daryl sighed, "What should I do now?"

Tsugumi leaned slightly closer to Daryl and suggested that they just talk for a bit. Daryl reluctantly stayed, realizing that he didn't have a choice. _She's just too damn assertive... Besides... It's not like I can just blatantly say no. She's just going to force me to stay anyways._

"So..." Tsugumi began to twiddle her thumbs, trying to figure out what to say first. "How about we properly introduce ourselves? I guess I kind of forced you into telling me your name, so I guess you deserve to properly introduce yourself."

"You have to properly introduce yourself too, you know? Without all the screaming, that is. Why do I have to go first anyways?" Daryl harshly asked. "You should introduce yourself first."

"Aye, aye!" Tsugumi exclaimed. "My name is Tsugumi Shibata! I am Funeral Parlor's hacker, and I am fourteen years old! Why did I join Funeral Parlor? That's for me to know and you to find out. I like cute stuffed animals and kittens. Unlike _you, _I am a very easy going person and am very laid back. And you? Now tell me, Daryl Yan, is there anything you'd like to tell me?" She asked, humorously, moving her face even closer to his, smiling.

Daryl sighed, "Well, if you insist. My name is Daryl Yan, and I _was_ a mysophobic. That is, I was until some annoying runt came along and got rid of it. I am a lieutenant officer at GHQ and commander-in-chief of the Anti-Bodies. Although it doesn't seem like it, I like sweets. Also, I think I'm a very sarcastic person, and I don't really care for others. There's really not much for me to tell you. I guess."

He quickly glanced at Tsugumi and realized that she was intently staring at him the whole time. She quickly nodded her head, "I see... You know what? Is it just me, or do you sigh a lot?"

Daryl's eyebrow twitched a little, and he sighed, trying to control his sudden anger, "I don't know. _Do I?_"

"You just sighed."

He said nothing.

Tsugumi waited a few seconds and then burst out laughing all of a sudden. "Sorry, sorry! Couldn't help myself! You're so fun to tease."

She giggled and looked Daryl in the eye, "So... Anything else you want me to know?" She tilted her head in a cute manner, waiting for Daryl to respond.

"Y-Yeah..."

_Crap, crap, crap, crap! No Daryl! She so did not look cute just now! So what? She just tilted her head and giggled and looked me in the eye. No big deal. _Daryl, unknowingly, started to blush, lost in his thoughts. He was so focused on trying to convince himself that he was not attracted to her at the time that he didn't even realize that he was physically contradicting his own thoughts. Tsugumi quickly took notice to the sudden redness in his cheeks.

"Are you okay, Daryl? Your face is kind of red."

"H-Huh? Oh. Is it?" Daryl nervously asked, his eyes shifting from left to right.

"Yeah... They're really pinkish. Are you okay? You're not sick or anything right?" Tsugumi asked, worried about his well-being. "Here! Let me check to make sure!" She reached out her hand and placed the back of her hand on his forehead, trying to check his temperature. Daryl's face grew hot and even redder.

"W-What are you doing?" He yelled, grabbing her arm and moving it away. He looked away, trying to hide his flushed face. "There's nothing wrong. I'm not sick. You don't have to worry or anything stupid like that. I can take care of myself! I don't need a dumb runt like you worrying about me." He harshly interjected, finally releasing her arm. Tsugumi slowly lowered her arm and shifted a little. She lowered her head and sadly apologized, "My bad. I'm sorry. I was just trying to– Never mind..."

Daryl turned back around and saw Tsugumi with her head lowered and upset. He felt guilty, knowing that he had upset her that much with his harsh words. There was much unwanted tension between them. Daryl felt the need to fix what he had done, but he didn't know how. He didn't understand why. Why did he care about how she felt so much? He had only known her for about a week. No. Technically, he had known her for two days at most. He could not comprehend his own feelings. He could not comprehend why he felt the way he did. He could not comprehend why he desired her happiness. _Damn it... I really hate myself sometimes..._

Daryl reluctantly moved his hand closer to her. He gently placed his hand on her hand and gently petted her head. Tsugumi's eyes widened, shocked at Daryl's sudden kind gesture. Her face softened and she looked down at her hands. She began to twiddle her thumbs, wondering how she should respond. Daryl removed his hand, his face still a little red.

"Sorry, Tsugumi. I kind of... lost control of my anger back there, so–" Daryl was silenced by Tsugumi. She pressed her index finger against his lips.

"Shh... It's okay. I forgive you. I understand! You don't need to say anything else." She removed her finger from his lips and blushed a little. "B-Besides! I'm the enemy. You shouldn't worry that much about how I feel." She quickly said, hiding how she felt at the time. "S-Shouldn't you report back to the GHQ now? It's getting really late..."

Daryl stuttered a little, his face even redder than before now, "Y-Yeah... I should be going back! S-See you some other day?"

Tsugumi nodded, "Mm!" She paused and came to an epiphany, "Hey! How about you give me your phone for a moment, 'kay?"

Daryl handed her his phone, and she quickly pressed many buttons on the holographic screen. When she was done, she placed it back in his hands and explained, "Here. I put my number in here, so if you need anything, you can just message me. Only call if it's an emergency though!"

Daryl smirked, "Heh. Me? Need help from you in an emergency? That's really funny. Thanks though. I guess I'll contact you whenever I'm coming. See ya."

He walked away and waved once.

"Bye!"

And with that, he was gone, out of her sight. Tsugumi slowly lowered her arm and clasped her hands together.

"I really don't understand myself sometimes..." She whispered, remembering how Daryl had treated her when he realized that he had upset her.

"Daryl Yan. A cold-blooded murderer, huh? He's... the enemy..."

* * *

><p>Tsugumi slowly walked back to the school building to check on Ayase. "Hello, Aya-nee! I'm back!"<p>

"Ah, Tsugumi. There you are." Ayase rolled towards her in her wheelchair, eager to ask her something. "Where were you? It's been over an hour! What were you doing out there so long?"

"Oh! I was talking with... a friend of mine."

"A friend of yours, you say? And who would _that_ be? You don't have any other friends here except for us Funeral Parlor members and the student counsel members to an extent."

"Okay. So I guess I met this guy recently. He goes to this school!"

Ayase, not buying Tsugumi's claim, questioned her even more, "Oh really? How could you tell that he was a student of this school?"

"He was wearing the uniform! He had the blazer, the pants, the shoes, the tie. And he's around our age too."

Ayase looked Tsugumi in the eye. She kept a straight face the whole time, determined to keep Daryl's identity a secret. "Fine. I believe you for now. Sorry for suddenly interrogating you. I'm just really worried about you. When you're gone that long outside, it makes me worried."

Tsugumi slightly bent down and reassured her, "Don't worry, Aya! Even if I got into trouble, I'm not dumb enough to get myself killed. Plus! I can do a pretty darn good Missile Kick! Right?"

Ayase giggled, "I guess you're right, Tsugumi. Sorry for worrying. I think it's time we go to bed. It's getting really late."

Tsugumi agreed and wheeled Ayase away, towards the numerous tents set up inside the school campus. When they reached their tent, Tsugumi helped Ayase out of her wheelchair and helped her sit down on the ground. Ayase laid down and quickly fell asleep. When Ayase fell asleep, Tsugumi took out her phone only to realize that she had received a message: "This is Daryl. I'll be back in 2 days. Just wanted to let you know."

Tsugumi switched her phone off and laid down.

"Two days, huh. I can't to see him again..."

Tsugumi quickly fell asleep, just like Ayase had. However, Ayase was actually awake the whole time. _Two days? So she'll be meeting up with him in two days time... I have to find out who he really is before it's too late!_

* * *

><p>After a long night, Daryl woke up to the sound of chaos. All the GHQ members were busy as usual. According to Rowan, he had fallen asleep on the job, so he slept at headquarters throughout the night.<p>

He groaned, "Ugh... I can't believe I fell asleep here. I hate these beds so much..."

Rowan walked up to Daryl, realizing that he had finally woken up, "Did you sleep well last night?"

"Huh? Why do you need to know?"

"Just curious because... You see... Daryl, do you know that you talk in your sleep?"

Unable to comprehend what he just heard, he could only respond with a loud, "Huh?"

"Yeah. While you were asleep, I kept hearing you mumble someone's name. What was it again? Tsugumi? Who is that? Your secret girlfriend?"

Unable to contain his anger, Daryl leaped out of bed and punched him across the face, knocking his glasses off his face and onto the ground. Rowan winced in pain and quickly regained his composure and slowly bent down to pick up his glasses. He slid them on and readjusted them. Rowan quickly walked out and added, slightly smirking "So was I right?"

Right before Daryl could get to him, he ran away to tell Segai that he had woken up.

Daryl muttered under his breath, "Tch... Tsugumi? My girlfriend? Impossible." He grabbed his uniform's jacket. He slipped on the pure white jacket with two rows of four gray buttons that had light gray lines running straight down underneath them. It was fairly simple in design. There was a slightly tight arm band on his left arm. Half of it was gray and the other half was red with a white stripe separating the two colors. The red half had a white symbol on it, a diamond with many rectangles, diagonally arranged to form a symbol. The jacket donned two large pockets with two diamonds cascaded on top of each other. He then slipped on his black boots and quickly exited the room, ready to report to Segai, to see if he had anything for him to do today.

_Two days is going to feel like forever... I can't wait to get away from this place..._ Daryl thought to himself, wanting to get away from the stress of work.

_Because this is the last place I want to be right now._

* * *

><p><strong>PLEASE R&amp;R! Thank you for reading and putting up with my slow, terrible writing! This chapter isn't as long as the first time, but I hope I'll improve with each new chapter. I'm really not that great of a writer, haha. I'm better at drawing, but, hey, why not? I was originally going to rewrite this story, as stated above, but then I was like. NAAAHH. I'll make up my own scenarios. Take some from the actual anime. Make up some more like the fangirl I am. So far, we've only been showed TsunTsun Daryl in the anime. I want DereDere Daryl soon. EPISODE 19 MUST COME SOONER. The week in between Guilty Crown episodes feels like an eternity. All I can do is fantasize about Dargumi and wait like a depressed fangirl. If you have any suggestions or anything you want to see in this story, you can message me, and I'll think about it. This place needs more Dargumi. And sorry if they're kind of OOC. I can't tell if Daryl's OOC or not. He did a heel face turn in Episode 18, so I'm not really sure. Oh well. This is extremely random, but I'm just going to throw this out there: BEATEN UP UNCONSIOUS DARYL IS THE MOST GOD DAMN MOE THING EVER.<strong>

**I just realized how much I write at the end of every chapter... lol.**


	3. I Don't Understand

_I Don't Understand_

**Hey guys! I tried to upload this chapter sooner than my other chapter. I plan on releasing chapters a bit faster. Hopefully, I can release them at least once a week! I'll try my best and hope I don't get lazy!**

* * *

><p>Two days have passed since Daryl and Tsugumi's last meeting. Tsugumi was not done peeling all her vegetables yet, but she was allowed to take a break. She thanked the S-Rank students on patrol and walked towards her usual meeting place with Daryl, eagerly waiting for his arrival. She swung her legs back and worth, trying to distract herself from how long he was taking. Daryl finally came into her view. He was wearing his usual disguise, the school uniform without the jacket, a light blue tie, and half-rimmed glasses. He slightly waved one hand and greeted Tsugumi.<p>

Tsugumi jumped out of her seat and happily greeted him back, "Hello, Daryl!"

Daryl casually looked down at the cat-eared girl, "Hey, runt."

"Again with that nickname..." Tsugumi sighed, slowly circling Daryl with her hands on her hips. "I have a name, you know?" She continued, obviously getting a little ticked off at Daryl's lack of effort to call her by her name.

"Whatever, _runt_." Daryl said. He smirked, waiting for her reaction. _Haha! She's so easy to mess with sometimes! _Tsugumi's calm expression turned into a frightening glare.

"Stop calling me that!" She yelled, officially pissed off, but that's when she realized what Daryl was trying to do. _I see... I'm doing exactly what he wants me too! _Tsugumi quickly turned around and snickered. _He's teasing me on purpose! Like a boy with a crush on a girl! Aaaww! How cute!_

Before Daryl could say anything, Tsugumi quickly twirled back around and inched closer and closer to Daryl. She stopped a few millimeters away from him and looked up, directly at his face. She had a big smile on her face. "Well isn't that sweet!" Tsugumi giggled. She slightly jumped back and quickly twirled around and giggled once more, "You flatter me too much, Daryl."

"W-Wha?"

"No, really! I never knew you were such a sweet guy. To think that _I_, Tsugumi, am special enough to receive a nickname from _Daryl Yan_ himself? I never knew I was _that_ special to you."

Daryl was left absolutely speechless, his mouth hung slightly agape. _T-This runt! I can't accept defeat! _Daryl was not willing to give in to Tsugumi, so as a last, desperate, resort, he walked up to her and roughly pressed down on her head, messing up her perfect hair. He pushed down even harder now.

"Shut up, runt. By the way... I call you runt for a reason. It's because you're a _runt_. And by runt, I mean _short_. You're not as special as you think you are!" Daryl harshly said, his mouth slowly turning a smirk. Tsugumi was infuriated at Daryl for bluntly calling her short. She unleashed a flurry of punches, but they were futile. Daryl's hand was still firmly pressed on Tsugumi's head, despite how hard she tried to get his hand off. Instead of aimlessly throwing punches, Tsugumi abruptly jumped up which somewhat startled Daryl. She then quickly elbowed him in his abdomen which caused him to stagger backwards in pain.

"W-What are you doing? That _really _hurt!" Daryl screamed, clutching his stomach in pain.

"_Gomen, gomen!_" Tsugumi laughed, "I guess I kind of went a bit overboard. Anyways! Why are you here on this fine day?"

Tsugumi took a seat and Daryl quickly followed. Daryl crossed his arms and calmly explained, "I'm just here to investigate the conditions here."

"That's not really much of a mission." Tsugumi adds.

Daryl groaned and leaned backwards, "I know, right? I haven't been getting any action lately whatsoever."

Tsugumi sighed, "Well... I guess now's the part where I explain everything to you. We're very low on vaccines and food. Also, the only form of offense we have are voids. Yeah... That's all."

They sat there in silence for a long time. Twiddling her thumbs, Tsugumi couldn't think of anything to say, so she finally yawned, "If there's nothing left for you to do, I guess I should get going. I'm not done with my work anyways. Anyways... See you soon, Daryl!"

Tsugumi turned and slowly walked away. She was halfway to the backdoor of the kitchen when Daryl quickly dashed towards her. He reached out for her arm and tightly gripped it, spinning her around. Tsugumi gazed straight into his widened eyes. "W-What is it, Daryl? What's wrong?" Daryl blinked and quickly looked down, flustered. "Don't... Don't go! At least... Not yet! There's... something I have to–!"

Tsugumi sadly looked into his eyes and said, "Sorry, Daryl, but I _really _have to get back to work! If I'm gone for too long, they'll start to get suspicious. Plus, I've been taking so much time throughout this week to see you. They're going to catch on eventually!"

"No! You _have_ to stay! B-Because!..." Daryl spatted out, almost panicking.

_H-Huh? What is he talking about? H-He's acting so strange! Could it be...?_

Tsugumi decided to tease Daryl playfully moving her face closer to his, "Daryl... Don't tell me that you've grown so attached to me that it hurts to be away from me? I know I'm an amazing person and all, but _seriously _Daryl_._ I never knew you'd be _that_ desperate!" She giggled.

Daryl started to blush. His face quickly grew redder and redder. He quickly tried to deny everything Tsugumi said, "N-No! It's that that I've grown close to you or anything like that! It's just that..." He lowered her arm and slightly loosened his grip and looked her in the eye, "I'm going be put on patrol at the wall for a week, so I won't be seeing you for a while... That's all. I just thought that... Thought that... You know... Well..." Daryl's voice slowly lowered to an inaudible mumble. Tsugumi's eyes slightly widened. _So that's why... So he doesn't really?... It's not like I'll miss him or anything, right? I'm not lonely or anything like that without him, right? Ugh... I really don't understand myself sometimes._

Tsugumi placed her index finger on his lips, silencing him, like she had done the last time they met, "It's okay. I understand. I'll stay with you a bit longer."

Daryl and Tsugumi walked back to the bench, Daryl still lightly holding onto her arm, which Tsugumi had taken note of. His hand gradually slid down Tsugumi's arm and gently into her hand. Tsugumi eyed her hand, perfectly fitting into Daryl's, and blushed a little. Right when she was going to open her mouth and say something, they had reached their meeting place and took a seat. They simply sat there in silence, their hands still intertwined. However, Daryl didn't notice his hand was now in hers.

Daryl turned his head towards her and asked, "So... Now that we're here, what should we do? I know asked you to stay a bit longer, but I don't even know what to do right now." He sighed, unable to come up with anything.

Tsugumi opened her mouth to say what she had meant to say earlier, "Well..." She blushed, "For starters, you can move your hand..."

Daryl looked down at his hand, interlocked with hers, and quickly jerked it away, his face growing hot. He quickly jerked his head away, trying to hide his red face, "S-Sorry... I didn't notice."

Tsugumi looked away as well, embarrassed. _It feels like a really awkward first date for some reason. _

Daryl was confused as to what to do to break the awkward silence between them. _What should I do? I hate this awkward atmosphere. HATE IT! But I don't know what to do! Wait a minute... _Daryl's eyes widened when he came up with a great idea. His frown turned into a devilish smirk and he turned towards Tsugumi. _This'll do the trick! _

"Tsugumi."

"Eh? What is it, Daryl?"

He passionately gazed into her eyes, making her blush more. _W-What is he planning on doing? _Tsugumi felt like panicking, unable to analyze the situation properly. Before Tsugumi's thoughts drifted any further, Daryl slowly raised his hand towards Tsugumi's face, making her suspicions seem even more true. However, instead of caressing her face like Tsugumi had thought he would do, he flicked her forehead.

"Ow!" Tsugumi yelped, covering her forehead with her hands. "What was that for? I know it's _really_ awkward and all, but that doesn't give you permission to just flick me out of the blue!"

Infuriated, Tsugumi quickly stood up and started to violently ruffle Daryl's hair. Before Daryl could slap her hand away, she snatched his frames off his face and slipped them on hers. Tsugumi laughed diabolically before skipping away and sarcastically singing, "Try and catch me~ _Darling_." She winked and then quickly stuck her tongue out at him, "Bleh!"

"Tch... Give it back! They're _mine_! Runt!" Daryl complained, about to lose his temper. He sprinted back and forth, trying to catch Tsugumi. However, she was too agile for him and was practically dancing around him, intimidating him.

She started to tease him some more, "Now don't tell me... My _darling_ Daryl Yan can't even catch this _tiny _girl?"

She giggled and Daryl was about to completely explode with anger. _H-How dare she humiliate me like this! It's like when she made me carry those boxes! I'm just unprepared! That's all! _Daryl makes one last desperate dash towards Tsugumi. This time, he was so fast that Tsugumi didn't even have time to react. She quick removed the frames and held them high up the air, trying to prevent him from getting them. Daryl made an abrupt stop directly in front of her. A little too abrupt. Instead of Daryl snatching his glasses from her raised arm, he accidentally tripped and fell forward with Tsugumi underneath him. Daryl tightly shut his eyes, waiting for the rough impact of the hard, concrete ground. However, only his legs and arms felt the impact, which he found strange.

Daryl's eyes flashed open, trying to figure out what had happened.

"Mmrrrmhh..." Daryl heard underneath him. He pushed himself up with his arms and kept his balance with his knees, firmly planted on the ground. He looked down and found himself gazing into Tsugumi's eyes. Realizing what position they were in, Tsugumi's face turned 3 different shades of red. Tsugumi tried to look away but couldn't. She found herself constantly looking back into Daryl's bright, piercing purple eyes, and Daryl couldn't look away from Tsugumi's, his eyes widened, still unable to process what was going on around him. _She's really... pretty. And her hair... I just want to touch it... _

Daryl noticed a strand of hair that ran across Tsugumi's face, obviously out of place. Daryl couldn't resist the inexplicable urge to touch her hair and fix it. Without thinking, Daryl gently brushed off the strand of hair and brought it behind her ear, gently caressing her face in the process. He gently rushed his hand through her hair, completely immersed in Tsugumi's eyes. Tsugumi couldn't do anything. She felt powerless underneath him. However, for some odd reason, she enjoyed it. The warmth of Daryl's hand on her face, how gentle he caressed her face, the sensation of him brushing his hand through her hair. She enjoyed it for whatever odd reason it was. Then, the unexpected happened. Daryl slowly bent down, closer to Tsugumi's face. Tsugumi wrapped her arms around him, bringing him down even closer to her lips.

Right before his lips brushed against hers, Daryl snapped back into reality and quickly stopped himself. He threw himself off of Tsugumi as fast as he could, realizing what he was about to do. He covered his mouth, blushing madly, remembering every vivid detail of what had just happened. Tsugumi slowly got up, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

"D-Daryl..."

"S-Sorry, Tsugumi. I... Have to go now... See you in a week?" Daryl said, still distracted by what had happened, and he just left. He just left. No eye contact. No wave. Nothing.

"B-Bye..." Tsugumi softly said, unable to properly put her thoughts into words. _Daryl... What... was all of that? He... almost kissed me too... Why do I feel this way? _Tsugumi could not get up. Instead of returning to Ayase like she normally did after Daryl left, Ayase found her instead. However, in reality, Ayase arrived right when Daryl left. She only got a short glimpse at his face, but memorized his main features. She was ready to confront Tsugumi about the boy she had been meeting. This had only confirmed her suspicions to be true. He was not a student at this school.

"Tsugumi! All you all right?" Ayase asked, genuinely concerned about why she was on her knees. "Who was that?"

She sighed, "Don't tell me..."

"Yes! He's the boy I've been seeing!" Tsugumi confessed, staring intently at the ground, still a little red.

Ayase sighed once again, "I knew it... Why are you even seeing him? It's obvious he's a spy! Tsugumi! I'm your friend! I understand you may have your reasons, but can you at least tell me his name?"

Tsugumi sorrowfully continued to stare at the ground, "I'm really sorry, Aya!" She raised her head and make eye contact with Ayase. "I am truly sorry, Aya, but I can't tell you no matter what!"

Ayase's eyes looked as if they were filled with pain, "Do you not... trust me, Tsugumi?"

"I'm so sorry, Aya! You're one of my closest friends in the world! You really are! However... I can't tell you his identity no matter what. You see, I made a promise."

"A promise? It's okay, Tsugumi. I understand. I'm sorry for overreacting back there!" However, Ayase, who was slightly jealous, suddenly asked, "However... If your promise with him is that important to you, then what exactly is he to you?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Just curious... You've been seeing him throughout this whole week, haven't you? If you've taken the commitment to see him this often, then what is he to you? Just another stranger? A friend? What? Don't tell me you're actually _crushing_ on him!" Ayase asked, her voice gradually growing louder and more frantic the longer she spoke.

Tsugumi, very flustered at this point, harshly responded, "I'm not crushing on him! I would never love him! Not _him_! A-Anyways! I'm going to sleep early! Tell someone to cover me and peel the rest of the vegetables, okay?"

Ayase agreed and went off to tell the others that Tsugumi was going to bed early. Before leaving, she added, "So you _don't_ think about him that way? Okay. That's believable, but what do you think will happen to you if someone finds out about this?" She sighed, "Oh well... You can think about it later... I'll go on ahead and tell them."

Tsugumi wandered into her tent and collapsed into her makeshift bed. Her mind wandered back to Ayase's question.

_"What is he to you? Just another stranger? A friend? What?"_

Tsugumi laid there, pondering what exactly Daryl was to her. _What... is he to me? Is he just a friend? Or is he just a spy I just happened to get acquainted with? Or could he be... more than that? _

Tsugumi could hardly comprehend her own emotions. The thing is, she never really understood herself from the beginning. She just lived life, went with the flow and covered everything up with a smile.

However, ever since Daryl waltzed into her life in the most unexpected way possible, things have gotten even more complicated. She tossed and turned in her sheets. The only thing that crossed her mind was Daryl, Daryl, and _Daryl_. _Why can't I stop thinking about him? _Her mind then flashed back to the incident once more. His piercing purple eyes, his warm hands, the feeling of his hand rushing through her hair, his light breath on her face, and how their lips almost slightly brushed against one another. Just the thought of Daryl almost kissing her made her face grow hot.

Tsugumi could hardly understand herself at the time. Everything just kept replaying in her head. Over and over and over.

No matter how hard she thought about it, no matter how long, this one question would not go away.

Tsugumi lightly whispered to herself, "Why is it that when I think back to what happened..."

"I wish he didn't stop right there."

..._I actually wished that he had kissed me right then and there._

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><p><strong>Please R&amp;R! I tried so hard to keep Daryl in character. Omg. It's so difficult to make him all deredere and in character at the same time. I apologize for any OOC-ness. These poor star-crossed lovers won't be seeing each other for a whole week! OH THE AGONY! It's their equivalent of our Guilty Crown Thursdays– the agonizing wait for the new episode to come out. Daryl is being sent out on patrol at the wall for a long, boring week. I will be doing a time-skip to spare you all the boring, unnecessary details. That incident played out a lot differently in my head. I originally was NOT going to have them almost kiss, but it came out like that so whatevs'. Perfectly A-Okay with that. OMG THESE TWO ARE MADE FOR EACH OTHER. THEY NEED TO GET MARRIED. AND HAVE LIKE. KIDS. AND. AND. HAPPY ENDING. YES. HAPPY ENDING. And omg. Daryl wasn't in Episode 19. He's probably gonna show up in the 2nd to last episode. Then sweep Tsugumi off her feet in the last episode 3 Or I hope. Sorry if this chapter felt rushed. I'll try my best to make the next chapter longer and better!<strong>


	4. Loneliness

__Loneliness__

Daryl Yan was on patrol in his endlave, on lookout for anyone who dared to step into the red zone. His orders were to shoot anyone who walked inside of it. However, Daryl could not focus on his task at hand. Instead, he spent most of his time wondering how a certain "runt" was doing. His mind kept flashing back to the incident the day before. He could distinctly remember how vulnerable and powerless she was, how soft her hair was, and, well, pretty much _everything_. The fact that he remembered everything so vividly made him hate himself even more for it. __Why can't I stop thinking about that stupid runt? Why does it matter what she does when I'm not around? __Instead of paying attention to the barren city in front of him like he should be, Daryl mentally slapped himself over and over again, frustrated by his sudden growing attraction to that "runt". __It's not like I think she's pretty or anything... Right?__

Meanwhile, Tsugumi sat there, doing her usual routine: Peel all the vegetables then take a break once finished. Only, the problem was, when she took her break, she would quickly go and see Daryl, who would normally be waiting for her. Today, however, Daryl wouldn't be there, so what would she do? Tsugumi sighed, realizing that she wouldn't have anything to look forward to today. She spent a majority of her morning sighing and still pondering Ayase's question.

_"___What is he to you?"__

Tsugumi sadly looked down at her half-peeled potato. __I don't know, Aya. I really, truly, don't know. __Tsugumi slid the vegetable peeler down in quick strokes, peeling off the remaining skin. She reached down into her bucket, feeling around for another vegetable to peel. To her surprise, there was nothing left, so she checked in with an S-Rank and left. Without thinking, she quickly started to walk towards her usual meeting place with Daryl. However, she quickly halted, realizing that he wasn't going to be here today. In fact, he wasn't going to be here for a whole entire week. __Oh yeah. I almost forgot. Daryl isn't going to be here for a whole week... __Tsugumi stood there in silence and gazed ahead, not particularly thinking of anything. She finally sighed and strolled towards an empty area on the campus. She took a seat on a concrete block and leaned back, staring at the sky. Tsugumi was lost in thought, confused as to why she felt lonely. It was something she was bound to be used to by now, but for some reason, she could never find a proper, straightforward answer. _Am I lonely?_

A soft voice broke Tsugumi's concentration, "Tsugumi? Are you okay?"

Tsugumi looked up to see a familiar, fair-skinned girl with glossy pink hair.

"Inoreen? What are you doing here?" she asked, eying her with curiosity. She motioned for Inori to take a seat next to her, lightly patting the concrete block a few times. Inori elegantly walked over and took a seat, flattening her dress.

"You seem troubled. What's wrong?" She asked, worried about her friend's health. "You've been sighing a lot lately. Did something happen?"

Tsugumi looked down, playing with her fingers, "Well... Yeah. Sort of." Tsugumi paused, waiting for Inori to say something. Inori looked at Tsugumi, expecting her to elaborate more.

"_Nee..._ Inoreen... I know I've asked this before, but what does loneliness feel like? You said it was cold, right? Do you think... I'm _lonely _right now?" Tsugumi asked, still unsure of her own feelings.

"Maybe." Inori said, void of any emotion. The doll-like girl turned to Tsugumi and stared at her without any emotion and gently asked one more time, "_Are you lonely?_"

This time, Tsugumi thought about it even harder. _Am I lonely? _The answer was yes. However, Tsugumi was too blinded by her own denial to realize it before. Inori's words echoed in her head over and over and over again. She slowly stared down at her empty hands and asked, suddenly choking, "_Yes_. I'm lonely, aren't I? Inoreen! What should I do? When you're lonely, what _can_ you do? Just sit there and wait? Wait for him to come back? Do I wait like a damsel in distress? Is there nothing I can do to help him? _Nothing?_"

Inori's eyes widened, "Who are you talking about? What's going on? I don't understand you."

Tsugumi lightly placed her hand over her heart and tightly gripped her sweater, "Is this what it feels like to be lonely?"

Tsugumi kept babbling on about loneliness, how cold it was, how it was such a_ terrible _emotion to feel. Inori just sat there, confused and unmoved with a blank stare. Inori probably didn't understand a single thing Tsugumi was talking about. She was never very understanding of human emotions. However, she was extremely sharp at times. Even after a whole five minutes, Tsugumi didn't stop. The feeling of loneliness, she was just so unfamiliar with it. It was so _new_. New in the worst way possible. She didn't know how to deal with it. Everything just hit her all at once. When she had finally realized that all this time she was lonely, she felt powerless. All this time, she had just been putting on a facade. A mask. A fake smile.

Tsugumi covered her face, resting her elbows on her knees, "I miss him." She jolted up and turned towards Inori, "Inori, how do you think you would feel if you cared about someone you aren't supposed to?"

"I'm... not sure."

Tsugumi groaned and let go of her face, "Human emotions really need to go die in a fire sometimes."

"O-Okay..." Inori quietly responded, confused about Tsugumi's sudden changes in emotion. Hell, she probably thought Tsugumi was going crazy if she didn't know any better. Tsugumi was pretty close to snapping though. Tsugumi was always an emotional person, to some extent. She always spoke without thinking, always saying what was on her mind. Except, this time, it was different. It was as if she had just emotionally broke down and let everything out. She wasn't depressed or anything. There were actually no tears whatsoever. The feeling of loneliness was so alien to her. She was scared. Shocked, really. She couldn't even react properly.

Tsugumi had finally answered the question she's asked herself so many times, but for some reason, she was more shocked than relieved. She sat there in silence, taking everything she had just blurted out into consideration, and Inori slowly, awkwardly walked away, thinking that Tsugumi needed some time alone.

"Um... I'll... be leaving now." Inori passively said, with an uncertain tone in her voice, and she walked away, weirded out by Tsugumi's strange actions.

Tsugumi kept thinking to herself, frantically babbling on and on inside her own head. __So this is what it feels like to be lonely. I've finally answered the question I've asked myself so many times in the past. Why am I not relieved? Even more importantly, I just admitted to missing Daryl. DARYL. YAN. Him of all people. I mean. What has he done for me to make me care? He calls me runt and makes the atmosphere unnecessarily awkward whenever he's trying to be honest. I mean. Yeah, he's cute when he's trying to be honest, but... STILL!__

Tsugumi groaned even loader this time and frantically clutched her head in confusion, "Wait a minute–!"

She cut herself off before she blurted out something she probably shouldn't.

__Wait a minute... WAIT A MINUTE... Could this mean?...__

"No. No! No... No,no,no,no... NO!" Tsugumi muttered under her breath.

_"___Don't tell me you're actually crushing on him!" ___Ayase's words echoed in her head once more._

__Crap... Why don't things ever go the way I want them to?__

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><p>Daryl was ejected from his endlave, and he quickly exited the cockpit. He headed towards their control center. Rowan was seated in front of a screen with a live screening of what was going on at the wall. Segai was seated to his right in a red rolling chair, as usual. He was doing a crossword puzzle on his phone, trying to amuse himself. Segai acknowledged Daryl's presence in the room and looked up at him, "Ah. Lieutenant Daryl! Good to see that you've made it back conscious this time."<p>

Rowan snorted, reminiscing all the times Daryl was knocked out unconscious after being annihilated by Ouma Shu over and over again.

"It's only because Ouma-kun wasn't there at the time."

"Right?" Segai responded, obviously playing around.

"I don't know why, but he always defeats you in one hit. You're also the first one to charge in every time. There must be some connection." Rowan smirked, somewhat afraid yet amused. He glanced over to Daryl to see his facial expression, somewhat worried for his well-being. His expression darkened, and Rowan grew stiff in fear.

"That... Faceless bastard!" Daryl gritted his teeth in anger, remembering every single time Shu has destroyed his endlave with that strange "void" power he has. Realizing that he was quickly losing his temper, he attempted to calm himself down. He took a deep breath in and exhaled. Segai ignored him, and Rowan sighed, relieved that he wasn't going to receive any physical injuries today. Suddenly, a huge announcement was made throughout the HQ and Loop 7. All civilians seen within the red line were to be terminated. However, unaware, the civilians all stood there, shocked as the wall began to move little by little. The red light flashed over masses of people and endlaves began shooting, massacring most, if not all, of the innocent civilians. Daryl could only watch the scene unfold from the sidelines, from Rowan's screen.

_This... this isn't right!_ Daryl could only stare at the screen, unable to say anything. He felt a drop of sweat fall down his face. He looked over at Rowan, frozen in fear. The wall began to move bit by bit, pushing all the littered dead bodies along with it. _This is... wrong!_ Trying to hide his disapproval, Daryl spoke up, "I don't like this one bit."

Rowan and Segai quickly turned to Daryl, shocked. Even Segai was surprised.

"Huh?" They both said in unison.

Daryl quickly interjected before they jumped to any unnecessary conclusions, "There's no _love_ in this killing."

Rowan was somewhat relieved that Daryl, too, disapproved of this in his own special way, of course. However, Segai on the other hand, caught on to Daryl's act.

"Perhaps it's not a taste in style but rather the fact that you're growing soft." He smirked, eying Daryl with curiosity and amusement.

Rowan was shocked by Segai's comment, "Wha?"

Daryl was taken back by Segai's sudden remark, "W-What? Me? Soft? You must be joking."

"Oh? But I'm not."

_He's too sharp! What should I do?_ Daryl quickly dismissed his comment and decided that he was going home for the day.

"W-Well... Anyways! If there's nothing left for me to do, I'm going home for today."

Daryl stomped out the room. The automatic door slid open.

"Daryl, you can't run away from the truth forever." Segai added right before he left.

"Whatever."

And Daryl quickly walked out of the room.

* * *

><p>Daryl fell back onto his bed. He stared at the ceiling, bored out of his mind. For the past two days, he had been doing the same thing over and over again. Patrol, patrol, patrol. However, it's not like he really payed attention anyways. He spent most of his time wondering what that "runt" was doing, much to his disdain. It was the most mundane two days of his life. However, little did he know that Tsugumi was actually spending her days doing similar things. She did her boring job of peeling vegetables and thought about Daryl, but instead of hating herself for it, she was growing paranoid instead. Daryl reported in at the HQ and did the exact same thing. Rinse and repeat. When he was finally ejected from his pod, he immediately went to Segai.<p>

"_Oi_, when am I going to be given another mission? I'm getting really tired of all this dumb patrol crap."

It was his third day in a row, and he couldn't wait any longer. He crossed his arms and incessantly tapped his foot, waiting for Segai's response.

Segai spun around in his chair, "Patience, Daryl. And to answer your question: three days." To emphasize his point, he held up exactly three fingers. "I think I'm going to give you another infiltration mission.

Daryl stopped tapping his foot and his eyes slightly widened and he shot Segai a tiny smile. He sort of looked like a playful little kid. He was pleased with his response, "Ah. I see. I guess I can wait three days."

"That's good to know."

"Well, I'll be leaving now."

"Okay– Wait! Before you leave. Do you know a nine-lettered word that means betrayal of trust?" Segai asked, staring intently at his scarlet cellphone.

Daryl turned his head and thought for a bit. He went through a multitude of words and counted letters on his fingers.

"Treachery?"

Segai began to rapidly type in "treachery" and a big grin grew on his face, "Thanks, Daryl!"

"Uh... Yeah. Sure." And he walked out. The door lightly shut behind him and he let out a light sigh. He went home and quickly pulled out his cellphone. He opened his contact list and scrolled down to Tsugumi's name. Daryl began to type in a short message and pressed "send".

* * *

><p>Tsugumi was seated on her usual stool, extremely frustrated with herself. <em>It's been three days, and I haven't stopped thinking about him once...<em> Tsugumi looked down with a deranged look on her face. Her right eye lightly twitched. _One of these days, he's going to drive me INSANE. I mean, he's driving me crazy right now, and he's not even here! What the hell! I've only known him for..._ Tsugumi began counting all the days that have passed since their first meeting at the school festival. _About... one and a half weeks? I can't really remember..._ Tsugumi uncontrollably let out a loud groan. Everyone nearby quickly turned around and stared at Tsugumi in confusion.

Tsugumi looked up and found many students wildly staring at her, "Ugh... Stop staring at me. It's nothing. Nothing's wrong."

Everyone went back to doing their own thing and quickly brushed it off. Tsugumi heard a light beeping noise come from her phone. _Who could that be? Could it?..._ Tsugumi quickly seized her phone and turned it on. A holographic screen popped up and it read, "(1) Unread Message". _Huh? A text message? During times like these? Then maybe it really is him!_ Tsugumi lightly tapped her screen, curious to see what it read.

In bold, white letters, it read, "**Three Days.**"

Tsugumi gently smiled and lightly touched the screen.

_I can't wait..._

"YES!" Tsugumi yelled in joy, unaware of her surroundings, again. Everyone turned to look at her one more time, baffled by why she was so happy in times like these.

Tsugumi lightly blushed and tried to laugh it off, "Ahahaha... Nothing to see here... Again. I'm just... being... You know... Delusional. Haha..." She nervously laughed. Everyone went back to being depressed and doing their own thing, brushing off Tsugumi's strange actions again.

_I swear... This guy is going to be the end of me._

* * *

><p><strong>Please R&amp;R! Thanks for reading, <strong>**again****. I slacked off a bit this time. And sorry if things seem rushed. ****Again****. And whew! Writing Inori is probably the hardest thing ever for me. I'm so used to writing overly expressive characters. I mean. Yeah. She has emotions, but it's not like... she shows them that much. Well! NOW SHE DOES. But we're not there yet in the story. I moved the little massacre scene to this point in the story instead. Not really much of a big deal. And this chapter's a lot shorter than the other ones. It kind of feels like Daryl and Tsugumi's relationship is a bit rushed and forced in this story, but I'll make up for that :) Things aren't going to get romantic soon, to be honest. SORRY TO DISAPPOINT. HAHA. They're like. Teenagers experiencing their first crush. And Dargumi fluff is the best thing ever. And since it's Spring Break, I have WAAAAYYY more time to write. If I feel motivated enough, I may release 2 chapters within the next week. And since I have more time, I can revise and edit my chapters better. And I think my writing skills are SLOOWWWLLYY improving. YEESSS! And as a heads up, Segai isn't going to die in this story, and Dan is still alive.**


	5. I Promise

_I Promise_

Three days have slowly passed by since Daryl's message, and conditions at Tennouzu were slowly getting worse and worse. Tsugumi had just finished her usual job and was anxiously waiting for Daryl's arrival. To be honest, it was actually a very nice day. The sun was out, the sky was blue, and there was a light breeze that gently brushed against her face. Tsugumi lightly squinted and could make out a hazy figure in the distance. Her eyes widened and she smiled. _He's finally here!_ After being separated for a week, they were finally going to be able to see each other again. Tsugumi couldn't wait. She was, quite literally, kept at the edge of her seat. When Daryl finally arrived, Tsugumi leaped out of her seat. Before he even had the chance to say hello, Tsugumi charged at him. Alarmed, Daryl didn't know what to do, so he mindlessly stood there, unable to predict what she was going to do to him. _Is she mad? D-Did I do something wrong? _

Tsugumi made one final leap and wrapped her arms around Daryl. Daryl staggered backwards, shocked at her sudden actions. Tsugumi's arms were tightly wrapped around him. He couldn't move. Not even an inch.

"H-Hey! What are you doing, runt? Can you please let go? He harshly asked.

Tsugumi glanced up at Daryl with a huge grin on her face, "Although I hate to admit it, I kind of missed you..."

_S-She missed me? _Daryl lightly blushed and tried to avoid looking at her. Tsugumi looked at Daryl and realized he was slightly blushing. She hastily interjected before he jumped to any conclusions, "I missed you because it's really boring without you being around. There's no one I can mess with!"

Daryl looked down at the cat-eared girl and hesitantly responded, "O-Oh. I see." The truth was that he was actually somewhat disappointed. _So she doesn't miss me in that context? _Tsugumi, being the observant person she was, realized that Daryl stuttered. In an attempt to get a reaction out of him, she playfully asked, "Don't tell me that you're disappointed. Did you miss me _that_ much?"

Daryl has gone through her teasing many times before. _I know exactly what she's trying to do! Hah! So predictable!_ In response, Daryl decided to try and win at her own game. Instead of responding with a witty remark, he wrapped his arms around her too. Tsugumi was at a loss. She didn't know how to respond to his sudden out-of-character actions. "H-Huh? What's this all about?" Tsugumi nervously asked. He slid his hand up to her head and pulled her in closer to him. Her head was now snugly resting on his chest. He whispered, "I missed you, you know?"

Tsugumi lightly blushed, "Um... Daryl... I– !"

Daryl quickly cut her off, "Not!" He let go and lightly pushed her away. "Did you honestly think that I missed you_ that_ much? Sorry to disappoint you, but I don't think about you in _that_ context."

"O-Oh. I get it now! I thought you were acting really strange just now. Good to know you were just acting. Say, you're getting really good at this." Tsugumi laughed it off, hiding how she really felt. _I actually thought that... Just now... _Tsugumi turned around and took a seat. Daryl followed and did the same. He leaned back and sighed, "I'm glad to be back here. I'm so sick of patrolling. I _never_ want to do that ever again."

Tsugumi giggled, "Was it really that bad? My job kind of sucks too. I peel vegetables."

"That... sucks. A lot."

"I know, right?" Tsugumi happily responded. Tsugumi slowly leaned to her right, closer to Daryl, and lightly sang, "So? Why are you here~?"

"Same as last time. Check the conditions of this crummy place." Daryl lethargically responded. He sighed and turned to Tsugumi with a serious look on his face, "Don't tell anyone you heard this from me, but I think that Segai is planning on making a move soon."

Alarmed by Daryl's serious attitude, Tsugumi stiffened, "What do you think he's planning on doing?"

Daryl sighed and frowned, "That's the thing I don't know. No one can tell what goes through his head, but he knows exactly what goes through everyone else's. He's so unpredictable. I can't tell if he's evil or if he's just looking for some amusement." Daryl casually crossed his arms and looked up at the sky, trying to remember something. His eyes widened when he reached an epiphany, "Ah! Come to think of it, I remember him saying something about breaking Ouma Shu, but I highly doubt he was being serious. He was really bored at the time."

Tsugumi was at a loss of words. _Huh? He can't be serious..._ "So... Segai is this type of person? I'd imagine him to be more sinister."

Daryl quickly added, "That's exactly why he's so sinister. He treats everything like a joke. _Everything_. He's betrayed too many people to count, and he has no problem with killing people or torturing them. Hell, he makes asking for an answer to a crossword puzzle sinister."

Tsugumi's eyes widened in disbelief, and she quickly glared at him in disbelief, "You can't be serious."

"But I am. Trust me. You won't understand until you actually meet him."

"Sounds like someone I'd want to avoid at all costs." Tsugumi sighed and leaned back, stretching out her arms and legs. She slumped into the bench and addressed Daryl's mission, "So you want to know more about the conditions, right?" He nodded and Tsugumi continued, "Well. To be honest, things haven't really changed. Things just slightly get worse and worse as the days go by. Although we still have a decent amount of vaccines, they're starting to get desperate. F-Ranks are forced to dive into the sea to fish out vaccines. We have enough for most of the student body but not enough for everyone, so it's a serious ordeal we're going through right now. Plus, Shu's been making less and less appearances lately. He just shuts himself in this strange room with Inori."

Daryl grimly looked down, "I see... Things must be pretty harsh for you guys."

The atmosphere got heavy, and Tsugumi sadly responded, "Yeah..." She gazed at the sky and turned towards Daryl once again. She looked him in the eye and had a grim expression on her face, much like the one on Daryl's. She dismally asked, "_Nee_... Daryl? How do you think all of this is going to turn out in the end?"

Daryl looked at Tsugumi, confused as to why she was asking this all of a sudden, "I don't know. Why are you asking this all of a sudden?"

Tsugumi looked down and clasped her hands together, "I don't really know. I guess I'm just kind of scared. Scared that I'll lose everyone."

"Oh. I guess I can understand why you're worried, but I really don't have an answer to that question."

"I see..." She abruptly jolted up, "Well... You know what, Daryl?"

"W-What?" Daryl inquired.

She exclaimed with sudden determination in her eyes, "I don't really know how all of this is going to end, but be careful out there, Daryl!"

"H-Huh?" Daryl was absolutely confused as to what she was trying to do. She switched topics so suddenly, he couldn't properly respond.

"You have to promise me, Daryl!" She quickly added, "You have to pinky promise! You have to promise to stay alive! For me! Because we're... Because we're friends!" She proudly announced. She shot Daryl a genuine smile which left Daryl breathless. She extended her pinky and opened her eyes, still smiling. Daryl sat there and stared at her and shifted his attention to her pinky. Slightly blushing, he reluctantly reached out with his hand and wrapped his pinky around hers.

"I promise."

She gripped his other hand and brought it up to his raised one. She gently caressed his hands with hers and looked him in the eyes with genuine happiness, something she hasn't done in a very long time to anyone. All she could do was smile and gently say, "Thank you."

"Thank you for being there for me."

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading and please R&amp;R! This is a really short chapter which is also why I have Chapter 6 being released soon as well. Well, now you know where the title of the fanfic comes from! Haha. I've had up to Chapter 6 planned out, and now that I have gotten to Chapter 6, time to get back to the drawing board! Ah. I didn't think that I would actually be so motivated to write this. Normally, I lose motivation after the first 2 chapters. Anyways. The next chapter is going to be pretty long tbh. But I think it'll please all those Dargumi shippers out there ;) <strong>


	6. The Plan

_The Plan_

"_Thank you for being there for me." _

Tsugumi's words echoed in Daryl's head over and over again. He slightly blushed at the thought of her smile and smiled a little, much to his own disgust. Daryl was on his way to Area 24, the GHQ's headquarters. It was kind of a long walk, but he didn't mind. The city was quiet and barren, and there was an eerie sense if peace in the silence. He looked up and saw the huge, all-too-familiar mega structure in the distance. The HQ was a very unique piece of architecture. Rather than headquarters, it looked more like an amusement park. An amusement park located in the middle of Tokyo Bay for whatever reason. Why? It probably looked cooler if it were in the middle of a large body of water. It was all white. White. White. White. To be honest, it was somewhat ironic, really. The GHQ was more like a pure, white satin cloth stained red with blood still dripping down its surface.

Daryl chuckled at the whole irony of their main color being white, "I should write a poem about this. Even Segai would be proud."

He continued on in a strangely good mood. He slipped out a card from his pocket and scanned it, allowing him access into the building. He started to swiftly pace down the hall towards the nearest elevator. At the touch of a button, the elevator quickly made its way up to his desired floor. He exited and continued on. Daryl quickly made his way to the room Segai would usually hang out in. He never really left the room, for he spent most of his time in a familiar red rolling chair, watching live recordings from hidden cameras, and doing crossword puzzles. Daryl scanned his card and the steel door made a light mechanical noise before smoothly sliding open.

Segai turned around, hearing Daryl's footsteps, "I see you're back. How did it go?" Segai inquired with a crooked smile.

Daryl confidently reported what he heard from Tsugumi, "Like before, they are currently low on vaccines, insufficient for the whole student body. They're running low on food, so they're trying to make due, and the only means of offense they have are voids. People with a higher rank are taken precedence over those who are of a lower rank when it comes to vaccines and whatnot. F-Ranks are forced to go deep sea fishing for vaccines. Basically, conditions just plain suck."

Segai suspiciously smiled and remarked, "Wow, Daryl. You're doing surprisingly well at this information gathering stuff. Probably as well as me." Segai paused and closely observed Daryl, glaring straight into his eyes, "Could it possibly be that you have an inside source? You've also been unusually happy lately, soft even."

Daryl slightly stiffened, trying to retain composure, he responded, "Really? I haven't really noticed anything different about me."

Rowan conveniently walked in with a mischievous look on his face. He adjusted his glasses with a strange smile and asked, "Could it be... _a girl_?"

"W-What are you talking about?" Daryl yelled back in retaliation. A _girl_? Why would _I– "_

Rowan swiftly cut him off and continued his strange mischievous behavior, "Don't tell me you have a _crush_. So tell me, Daryl. What's her name?" Rowan inquired, slowly advancing towards Daryl. Daryl slowly moved backwards until he felt a thud. Rowan had backed Daryl up against a wall. In a moment of desperation, Daryl frantically yelled, "SEGAI! DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS! HELP ME OUT!"

However, instead of assisting Daryl, Segai sat there in his red rolling chair and flipped his phone shut. He leaned forward and rested his chin on his hands. "Yes. Do tell, Daryl. What's her name? I would like to know as well." He smiled.

Daryl's eyes widened in shock. _He's not going to stop him? Shit! If I don't stop this soon, they may find out that I've befriended a Funeral Parlor member. Even worse, if they do find out right now, they're going to think I'm fraternizing with the enemy. Why doesn't anything EVER go the way I want it to? _Daryl felt a bead of sweat slowly drip down his face. Right when he was about to open his mouth to say something, Rowan's face suddenly brightened up and a playful smile grew on his face, "_Tsugumi_. Her name's Tsugumi. Isn't it, _Lieutenant Yan_? I clearly remember you mumbling her name in your sleep."

"H-How can you be so sure that what you're saying is the truth!" Daryl screamed, pointing at Rowan as if he were accusing him of lying.

"I distinctly remember you punching me in the face that morning," he bluntly admitted.

Segai laughed, "Tsugumi? You mean _Black Swan _Tsugumi?"

"Huh? Black Swan?" Daryl questioned, unsure of what he was talking about.

_So she goes by the name "Black Swan"– NOW'S NOT THE TIME FOR THIS! _

Segai calmly explained, "That's the alias she goes by as a hacker. She's apart of the Funeral Parlor." Segai briefly paused and spun around to face his super computer. He began to rapidly type things in until he pulled up information of Tsugumi. Daryl looked up and saw information about her, pictures of her, and a bunch of other data Segai had gathered.

_Shit! He knows she's from the Funeral Parlor! _

Segai interrupted Daryl's chain of thought. He admitted, "To be honest, I don't really care that she's from the Funeral Parlor."

Daryl let out a short, "Huh?" _Wait... what? But... she's the enemy! Why is he?_

"This is entertaining, so I could care less." Segai flipped his phone back open and began to work on a new crossword puzzle. Meanwhile, Rowan continued to tease Daryl, "Hah! I knew she was your secret girlfriend!"

Daryl yelled again, "THAT RUNT– SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND!"

Segai interjected, "Yet."

Daryl jerked his head and stared at Segai and madly blushed with one eye slightly twitching, "And what... exactly... do you mean by... 'yet'?"

Segai smiled, "You'll find out soon. Rowan, escort Daryl out. Daryl, your work is done for today. Go relax at home or whatever."

Rowan escorted an enraged Daryl out of the room and promptly returned. He commented, "How cute. He even gave her a nickname."

Segai sarcastically added, "Rowan, I don't think that 'runt' counts as a cute nickname, but whatever. A nickname's a nickname."

Rowan took a seat and mischievously smiled, "So, Chief. What's the plan?"

Segai shot Rowan a smile much like his, "I'll tell you the details tomorrow. This'll be fun!"

* * *

><p>Daryl had just returned home. He collapsed into his sofa and sunk back into it. He covered his face in frustration. He removed his hands and fell over onto his side. He mindlessly stared at, well, nothing in particular. He began to talk to himself about how screwed over he was.<p>

He began incessantly babble on, his voice void of any emotion whatsoever. Even Inori used more emotion in her voice when she spoke.

"Shit. They know. _They know._ _Everything_. For the first time in my life, I am thoroughly scared for my well-being. I tried to tell them that that dumb runt wasn't my girlfriend, but_ no_. They wouldn't listen to me. And even Segai's joining in on Rowan's fun. Shit. I swear. With each passing day, Rowan starts to seem more and more like Segai. I guess it's always the quiet ones that are the trouble-makers. He always seems so useless, but who knew he was such a schemer. Such a mischievous guy. I have underestimated him. And what did Segai mean by 'yet'? What could they possibly do to me. Shit. I'm scared. I'm actually freaking scared. Kill 'Em All Daryl is scared for his well-being right now. That isn't good. Nope. Not one bit. Maybe I should just not report to work tomorrow."

Daryl suddenly jolted upright, still staring off into space, "Shit. If I don't report to work tomorrow, they're still going to find me." Then he came to a frightening realization, "_They know where I live_. Those damned bastards."

Daryl slumped back into his sofa once more and fell over onto his side again, "I hate life."

He slowly curled up into a fetal position and grabbed a tiny pillow and hugged it like a little girl.

"I am seriously going to kill myself one of these days."

And, thus, he went to sleep, dreading the events that would unfold the next day.

The next morning, Daryl woke up, his back slightly sore from sleeping on his sofa. He covered his mouth and yawned. Remembering what had happened the other day, he gave in and dragged himself to the headquarters. _What's the worse thing they could do to me, really? Things can't get worse. Can they ?_ Daryl scanned his card and went up the elevator to check in with Segai to see if he had any missions to do today. However, when he entered the room, no one was there. It was dead silent.

"This _can't_ be good."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Segai and Rowan were in a GHQ truck on their way to Tennouzu High School. When they had entered the campus grounds, Rowan immediately slammed on the breaks and waited for Segai to return. Segai promptly exited the truck and walked onto the campus grounds. A crowd was already building up, everyone recognizing the GHQ symbol on the truck, and in the front was their leader, Ouma Shu. The S-Rank students were already taking offensive positions, trying to protect Shu. However, Shu motioned them to move out of the way. Shu kept walking forward, eventually standing directly in front of Segai.<p>

"What are you doing here, and what do you want from us?"

Segai didn't waste any time whatsoever and stated, "I am in need of your best hacker available."

"And why should I hand ours over to you? Why can't you just ask for one somewhere else. Surely you have your own sources."

Segai deviously smiled, "Well. The only reason I'm asking you is because our interests collide at the time being. In return for _one_ person, I'll supply you with a surplus of vaccines, food, and even some ammunition. Basically, if you help me, I'll help you in return. It's as simple as that. So... What will you do, Ouma Shu? I don't have all day."

Shu had a conflicted look on his face. _If I accept to hand over Tsugumi, I can help all the students even more. However, it's the same as betraying my friends. What would Tsugumi think? What would Ayase think? What would Arugo think? But... If I do hand her over, I can, in the long run, help everyone out too! However, in return, I'll be hated by even my closest of friends... _

Shu was about to tell Segai that he accepted his offer when Ayase quickly charged in, "Shu! Don't do it! You can't hand her over!"

Shu turned to look at Ayase, "I'm sorry, Ayase. But– "

"No! Shu! You... wouldn't... Would you really?..."

Shu quickly turned back around to face Segai, trying to avoid looking at Ayase's face. Ayase tried to hold back her tears but failed. "I... accept your offer." He raised his voice and commanded, "Tsugumi! Come over here now."

Ayase yelled before fleeing the scene in tears, "I _hate _you, Shu!" Everyone promptly moved out of the way and let Ayase through. There was a brief silence, and the only thing you could hear was the clicking noise from Ayase's wheelchair. After the clicking noise faded, Tsugumi slowly walked up to Shu, understanding the situation she was in. _So in the end, Shu really would betray us if he needed to, eh. I guess he really did become a tyrant after all..._ Before walking away with Segai, Tsugumi briefly turned to Shu and said with a hint of sadness in her voice, "Hare would be disappointed, Shu." And she continued on until she was directly in front of Segai.

Segai motioned for Tsugumi to continue onwards, into the truck, "Shall we?"

_Good-bye, Aya, Inoreen, Arugo... and Shu._

* * *

><p>Tsugumi heard the door shut behind her and Segai asked her to take a seat across from him. Segai quickly stood up and opened the door that lead to the driver's seat and whispered into Rowan's ear, "Plan successful."<p>

She did as she was told and harshly asked with a bitter tone in her voice, "So? What do you need me for?"

Segai vaguely responded, "You'll find out shortly." He flipped open his cellphone and began to work on a new crossword puzzle at an alarming speed. He briefly looked up and suddenly asked, "What is something that breaks someone or something that is seven letters long?"

"E-Eh?" Tsugumi was alarmed by his sudden strange question. _Ah. I remember Daryl mentioning something about a crossword puzzle! He... doesn't seem that sinister to me. _Tsugumi went through a list of words and began to count the number of letters each word had on her fingers. She looked up and answered with an uncertain tone in her voice, "Torture?"

Segai began to rapidly type in the word "torture" and he playfully smiled like a little kid, "It fits! Thank you! Say. I think we're going to get along just fine!" Segai quickly got up again and went to Rowan and whispered, "I think I like her already." Rowan smiled and said, "I hope I can get along with her as well."

Rowan announced, "We're almost there!"

"Eh?" Tsugumi walked up to Rowan and looked out the window, curious about how the GHQ's headquarters looked like. Much to her amusement, it looked like an amusement park. Without thinking, Tsugumi blurted out, "Woah! It looks like an amusement park! How cool!"

She quickly jerked back, realizing that she had spoken without permission. _Oh crap! They're not going to punish me for speaking without permission, are they? _To Tsugumi's surprise, instead of punishing her they went along with her.

"Quite an interesting piece of architecture, isn't it? Must seem very unfitting for an organization such as ours. Just looking at it is somewhat entertaining."

Rowan commented, "I agree. However, I don't see the point in having a highway that swirls around the place..."

Tsugumi giggled, "It probably looks cooler that way." _These people aren't actually that bad. I've always thought of GHQ members as sinister, bad people, but I guess in the midst of things, people sometimes forget that they're human too..._

Rowan finally hit the breaks and stopped. Everyone left the truck and proceeded towards the exit. Segai scanned his card and the door swiftly slid open. Tsugumi quickly strolled in and observed her new surroundings. The whole place was surprisingly white. It felt like she was in a hospital. A very hi-tech hospital. The atmosphere of the place was extremely serious and busy. However, being around Segai and Rowan, it all just kind of vanished into thin air. Poof. They were just so _carefree_.

_These two people aren't actually that bad. If only the rest of the GHQ were like them._ They took their usual route and entered an elevator. When they walked out, they were high above the ground. Tsugumi found herself in a dark room filled with computer screens, an environment she was extrememly comfortable in. Rowan looked over at Tsugumi and saw her smiling like an idiot.

"You seem very happy to be surrounded by this advanced technology after such a long time."

Tsugumi anxiously looked up and Rowan and nodded twice, still smiling like an idiot. She looked like a little kid on Christmas morning, opening her first present of the day. Tsugumi found herself ogling every bit of technology in front of her at the time, trying to savor the sweet, precious moment. After all, after all of this was over, she may probably never see anything remotely similar ever again. _So... much... wonderful technology! _Segai began to walk towards another door. He scanned his card and entered in a password this time. Past this door was a seemingly normal office with an incredible view. However, the view really wasn't much to look at since the city was pretty much in ruins. However, there was an eerie beauty to the scenery.

Tsugumi dashed towards the huge window and stared down at the destroyed city, "Wow! This would've been an amazing view before everything got destroyed!"

Segai nostalgically looked out the window, "Yeah. It was. However, the purple crystals enveloping all the buildings is kind of pretty on its own. Creepy, but still beautiful. It's a kind of beauty that you'll learn to appreciate. To think that something that wonderful has taken many peoples' lives already. Such a shame."

Tsugumi wasn't sure how to react to Segai's sudden comment. _What? I just don't get this guy. It's taken so many lives, yet he still calls it wonderful? Maybe this is what Daryl was talking about... _Tsugumi looked back out the window and saw the sun begin to set. _It's this late already? Where am I going to sleep? A prison cell?_

"Since I'm a Funeral Parlor member, do I have to sleep in a prisoner cell or something?" Tsugumi bitterly asked even though the answer was obvious to her.

To her surprise, Segai calmly responded, "No. What would make you think that?"

"H-Huh? But I'm the enemy, right?" Tsugumi asked, placing her hands on her hips.

"Yes, but you're not a prisoner."

Tsugumi blinked twice and quickly nodded. "I see... So where will I be staying?"

Rowan quickly added, "About that– "

* * *

><p>Daryl was lying on his sofa once again. He reported to work, but no one was there. Suspicious, Daryl asked around to find out where they were. However, no one knew, surprisingly. After finally giving up, Daryl decided that he should just return home. <em>What could they possibly be up to? I have a bad feeling about this... This can't be good. I have to go back. They should be back by now. It's three already! This is no good. I have to go. <em>Daryl quickly got up and slipped on his jacket and boots. What began as a brisk walk grew into a frantic run. _I have a REALLY bad feeling about this. _Daryl frantically took his card out and scanned it multiple times, completely missing the scanner in desperation. Daryl paused and took a deep breath. After calming down, he calmly scanned his card and walked in, trying to retain composure. He quickly paced down the hall and took a sharp turn into the elevator. When he was inside, be began to fix his slightly messed up hair.

The door slid open and to Daryl's surprise, no one was there. _No one is here... Wait! I haven't checked his office. _Daryl sprinted towards Segai's office door and was about to knock on it. However, before his fist hit the door, it quickly slid open, and Daryl stood there looking like an idiot with his fist raised in the air. He saw Segai and lowered his hand and sighed in relief. "There you are... Were in here this whole time? I came but didn't see anyone, so I just left and went back home."

He looked to his left and saw Rowan smiling, "Perfect timing, Lieutenant!"

"Huh?"

Daryl scanned the room until his eyes saw an awfully familiar runt. Daryl stood there with his mouth slightly agape, too baffled to saw anything. He slowly raised his hand, shaking, and pointed at Tsugumi. "W-What is _she_ doing here?"

"Wha?" Tsugumi turned around and saw Daryl. She recognized his blond hair and purple eyes immediately. _What is he doing here? Perfect... timing? Don't tell me–! _

Rowan continued, still smiling, "You're going to be supervised by Daryl at all times. Everywhere you go. Everything you do. That's why we don't need to treat you like a prisoner and throw you in a cell."

Before Tsugumi could say anything, Daryl blurted out, "YOU'VE GOT TO BE FUCKING KIDDING ME!"

Tsugumi looked up at Rowan, trying to confirm everything she had just heard, "So I am supposed to be with Daryl at all times, correct?"

Rowan nodded.

"Every. Single. Second."

He nodded again.

"Even when I'm eating. Even when I'm... _sleeping_?"

Rowan quickly nodded twice with a huge, creepy grin on his face. _His smile... is starting to creep me out. Wait... I HAVE TO SLEEP WITH HIM? _Tsugumi quickly spun around and pointed at Segai, "He's joking right?"

Segai shook his head, still doing a crossword puzzle on his phone. Tsugumi looked back at Rowan who was still smiling like a creep. Tsugumi and Daryl were at a loss of words. She turned her head and observed Daryl's reaction. _Woah... Daryl doesn't look very good right now. Looks like he might collapse any second... _

Daryl was on the verge of completely snapping; However, he quickly took a deep breath, trying to calm down before he punched Rowan in the face again. _I knew something bad was going to happen, but I didn't think it'd involve that runt! Wait... Wait a minute! They probably don't even have a legit reason for her to even be here! This is probably all apart of their plan to mess with me, isn't it? Well. It can't be that bad, right? Orders are orders... Wait... Did he just say that we had to sleep together? _Daryl started to madly blush when he realized what Rowan and Segai meant by "at all times". His eye slightly twitched at the thought of them sharing a bed, and he slowly turned back around and faced the exit.

To break the silence, Tsugumi inquired with a shaky voice, "So... What's my assignment for today?"

Segai looked up and flipped his phone shut, deviously smiling, "Your work begins tomorrow. There's absolutely nothing going on today, so I think we can hold it off until tomorrow. For now, just go home with Daryl, and he can explain to you a few things you need to know."

"A-Ah... Okay... I see..." Tsugumi hesitantly responded, slowly approaching Daryl. She looked up at Daryl and said, "I guess... we should get going now?"

"Y-Yeah... Let's... get going."

Segai and Rowan watched Daryl and Tsugumi exit the room and waited for the door to slide close. Rowan strolled over to Segai's desk and they high-fived.

"Success," Rowan said with satisfaction, slightly adjusting his glasses. "So what's next?"

Segai motioned for Rowan to follow him out of his office. He sat in front of the super computer and pulled up a few windows. "I have strategically placed hidden cameras throughout the facility and Daryl's home. We can record videos and snap pictures. This'll be extremely amusing."

"Indeed." Rowan agreed with a strange glint in his eyes.

* * *

><p>Daryl nervously walked alongside Tsugumi towards his house. Tsugumi kept looking up at Daryl and then quickly back down. She looked back up and blinked twice, "So... Where's your house?" She curiously asked trying to start a conversation. Daryl pointed at a huge building in the distance. It was literally a house the size of a condo. "It's huge!"<p>

"It's really nothing special. There's not much in there." Daryl said. Tsugumi pursed her lips and commented, "About back when we were still in Segai's office..."

"Hm?"

"Someone really needs to wash your mouth out with soap or something." Tsugumi harshly said.

"YOU'VE GOT TO BE FUCKING KIDDING ME!" Tsugumi yelled, shaking her fist in the air, trying to impersonate Daryl, sounding absolutely nothing like him.

"I don't sound like that!" Daryl snapped. "And I can't help it sometimes." He quickly added. Tsugumi curiously asked, "Hey, Daryl. Do you happen to have any idea what they need me for?"

"I have no idea whatsoever. I just found out about this. To be honest, I think you know more than me at this point. You can tell me what you know later." Daryl sighed, still unsure of what Segai and Rowan were planning. When they had finally reached the entrance, Daryl pulled out his card and scanned it, and had begun entering in a password. The door make a few clicking noises and finally unlocked itself. Tsugumi slowly walked in, curiously observing her new temporary home. _Daryl was right. There's really not much in here. Just some regular, plain furniture. There's a lot of windows though. _They walked into the first door.

"This is the ballroom. It's where my father would invite other families of high status to eat and discuss important matters. You're probably never going to need to use this room." They continued through another door and entered an elevator. They swiftly moved up to the second floor. "This is the kitchen." Tsugumi eyed the fancy granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances. She whistled in admiration, "Nice kitchen."

"Uh. Thanks?" Daryl responded with a questioning tone. They walked through the kitchen and entered another room with a simple kitchen table and a few chairs.

"Hey, Daryl. Why is your house so empty?" Tsugumi inquired. "If your family is so wealthy, shouldn't it be more... full?"

"Well... To be honest, no one's ever really home. I don't know who my mother is, and my father doesn't even think I'm his biological son, so we were never close in the first place. I spend most of my time alone. Not to mention... My father is dead now anyways..." Daryl grimly said. Tsugumi's face softened, "Daryl..."

_So I guess he's kind of like me then... He must've been so lonely all of this time. _

"Daryl, are you lonely?"

"H-Huh?" Daryl blurt out, perplexed by her sudden question. "I-I don't know... Why are you asking me this all of a sudden? Why do you need to know how I feel anyways?" He snapped back.

Tsugumi slowly shook her head, slightly smiling, "It's nothing... So. Let's continue this tour, shall we? I want to see the rest of your house."

"Ah. Okay." Daryl walked back to the elevator and Tsugumi promptly followed. He pressed the number three and the elevator quickly flew up. "On the third floor is the living room."

It was pretty simple. It consisted of two sofas, a loveseat, and a single couch with a modern glass table in the center. There were a few cabinets lining the walls and a large flat-screen TV mounted on the wall. There was a lamp and a vase of flowers. It was extremely generic and strangely normal, but it seemed somewhat comfortable. Daryl and Tsugumi both took a seat on a sofa and Daryl continued, "The fourth floor is completely empty. I haven't really found a use for it yet, so I just leave it like that. The fifth floor is my room and the main bath. There are bathrooms throughout the building. They're not hard to find. I think that's all."

Tsugumi nodded, "Mmkay. Your house is pretty simple, so I shouldn't have a hard time finding everything, but what's in the basement floors? I noticed that there was a B1 and a B2 in the elevator."

"Those rooms belong to my father. I don't know why he chose the basement, and I've never gone below the first floor before. Never bothered. Not interested." He sighed and asked, "So why exactly are you here again?"

Tsugumi explained, "Segai and Rowan came to Tennouzu High and asked for their best hacker for whatever reason. They were obviously asking for me. In return, they would supply them with vaccines, food, artillery, all that good stuff. However, that's all I know. They haven't really explained anything else other than the fact that because I'm supposed to be under your supervision at all times, I don't have to be treated like a prisoner."

Daryl scoffed, "As if they'd even manage getting you in that cell. You'd probably drive them mad before that happened."

Tsugumi grinned, "Yep! It's one of my specialties! And you're extrememly vulnerable to my tactics. You have such a short fuse."

Daryl pouted, lightly blushing, "I don't have a short fuse..."

Tsugumi giggled, "Yes you do! But it's okay because you're so cute when you pout or get mad. Like you are right now!" Tsugumi smiled, making Daryl blush even more from being embarrassed. _He's so cute when he's embarrassed too! Maybe this won't be so bad. This just means that I can mess with him more._

Trying to change the subject, Daryl asked if she was hungry. Tsugumi nodded, "I haven't had a decent meal in so long..."

Daryl's eyes slightly widened, his pupil moving to the upper-left corner of his eye. Tsugumi noticed his eyes moving to the left. _What is he planning? Normally peoples' eyes move to the left when they're using the creative side of their brain..._

He quickly turned to Tsugumi and suggested, "Why don't you help me out a bit in the kitchen? I know you're kind of sick of peeling vegetables and all, but– "

Tsugumi shook her head, smiling, "It's okay! Sure! I'll help out."

They took the elevator down to the second floor.

"Go check the fridge to see what ingredients I actually have in there. If there's anything you think you want to eat, just tell me. I don't really mind cooking."

Tsugumi opened the fridge and examined what ingredients Daryl had. _There's not much, but he has a bit. You have your leafy greens, some scallions, one yellow onion, apples... Ew! _Tsugumi's nose wrinkled in disgust. _Carrots... Definitely staying away from that. A few pudding cups. _Tsugumi kept scanning his fridge, moving up layer by layer. Her thoughts began to grow more verbal.

"Parsley, chives, tomatoes... A fish?"

Daryl sighed, "Well? Have you decided yet?"

"Nope... You have a lot of stuff in here. You probably have more food than anything else in this house." Tsugumi commented, finally at the very top of the fridge. "And at the very top... we have..." She abruptly paused in shock. "...A... cake? Daryl, why do you have a half-eaten birthday cake?"

Daryl sadly looked down and sighed, "I... couldn't finish it."

_So he spent his birthday alone, huh? What about his dad? ...His dad didn't spend his birthday with him either?... _Tsugumi stared at the cake for a few seconds and began to get on her tippy-toes. Tsugumi grunted, trying to reach the top of the fridge. She hopped multiple times but failed. Daryl walked over and blurted, "W-What are you trying to do? Here..." Daryl walked in front of the fridge and stretched his arms, trying to grab his birthday cake. He got a tight grip on the huge, white plate it was sitting on and brought it down. Daryl walked over to the countertop and gently placed it down.

"What exactly do you want with this?" Daryl asked, eyeing Tsugumi with curiosity. However, Tsugumi simply took the cake, a forks, and a knife with her up to the living room. Daryl quickly followed, confused, "H-Hey! What are you doing with that?" They got in the elevator and Daryl just kept staring at Tsugumi, expecting an answer.

"You'll see." Tsugumi replied with a wide grin on her face. Daryl looked at Tsugumi and sighed, "Fine... Just.. don't drop the cake."

_Ding!_

The elevator stopped and Tsugumi merrily marched out, humming a cheery tune, being careful not to drop the cake. She placed it on the glass table and sat down on the carpet floor. She patted the empty space next to her and motioned for Daryl to sit down as well. Daryl took a seat directly next to Tsugumi, cross-legged. Tsugumi cut a slice of cake and took a tiny piece off with her fork. Holding the fork in her hand, she held it up to Daryl's lips, "Here! Eat it." Tsugumi urged, sincerely smiling.

Daryl pushed her hand away, "I-It's okay... I don't really want to eat cake."

"Eat it!" Tsugumi smiled again, shoving it onto his lips. "Open up! Common! Don't make this difficult just like back then with the candy apple!"

"F-Fine..." Daryl lightly blushed, remembering the candy apple incident. He gave in, realizing that he was, somewhat, at a disadvantage.

"Now say 'Aah~'" Tsugumi sang with a playful smirk on her lips.

"A-Aaah~" Daryl's face grew hot. _I-I can't believe I'm even doing this..._ Daryl made a muffled sound, "Ahm." He lightly bit down onto the fork and let the cake slide into his mouth. Tsugumi giggled, sliding the fork out of his mouth. Daryl lightly chewed the soft cake, too embarrassed to savor its taste. Using the same fork, Tsugumi took off another small piece and popped it into her mouth. Daryl stared at the fork, his face growing even redder. _T-That's the exact same fork... _

"Mmm! This cake is really good, Daryl!" Tsugumi exclaimed, her mouth still full with cake. Daryl pointed at the fork, his hand slightly shaking, "Why did you only grab one fork?"

Tsugumi took another bite of cake and stared at Daryl, somewhat surprised, "Hah? Oh! Iunno... I guessh I jush washn't paying attenshun. My bhad." She swallowed and teasingly waved the fork in front of his face, "Aww... Isn't that cute?"

" Daryl's worried about sharing an indirect kiss?" Tsugumi coyly said, trying to imitate his facial shy facial expression. She giggled, noticing how red his cheeks were, "Aww! You're blushing! How sweet."

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Rowan was smiling like an idiot, watching the scene unfold behind the scenes. <em>Strategically placed cameras indeed, Chief... <em>Segai kept snapping pictures, entertained by Daryl's reactions.

"I've never seen him make expressions like these before. This is very... intriguing."

"Indeed. I agree, Chief."

Rowan continued to focus on the live recording in front of him.

"_Now it's your turn to feed me, Daryl!"_

_"W-What? Why do I have to feed you, runt!" Daryl hollered. "This is just like the time you tried to cure my mysophobia!"_

_"Just this once, Daryl?" _

_"U-Ugh..." Daryl groaned. He lightly blushed and took a piece of cake, "Aah!" _

"_Ahm! Mm! This cake is really good! No wonder you managed to eat half of it by yourself! In one sitting too! Do you eat when you're upset or something?"_

"_NO!" Daryl yelled, still blushing. _

Rowan hit a few buttons and chose certain parts of the clip to save to his hard drive.

"They're so... _cute_!"

Segai sighed, "Rowan, you're starting to sound like an annoying fangirl."

Rowan scoffed, "Says the guy taking all the pictures."

"I guess you have a point." Segai checked the time and announced, "I think I'll be leaving for today. I suggest you leave too. It's getting late."

Stretching out his arms above his head, Rowan yawned, "Yeah... I think I'll be leaving now as well. See you tomorrow, Chief."

* * *

><p>After a long, drawn out cake war, they gave in and retreated to the fifth floor.<p>

"It's getting late..." Tsugumi said, yawning.

"Yeah..." Daryl lethargically responded. "So... About this whole 'at all times' business..."

"Hm?"

"What side of the bed do you want?" Daryl bluntly asked.

Tsugumi punched him in the gut, causing him to clutch his stomach in pain. "WHAT KIND OF QUESTION IS THAT?"

She scowled, "A real _gentleman_ would offer to sleep on the sofa or even the floor."

Daryl huffed, "I _refuse_ to sleep on the sofa _or _the floor." He frowned, "...It hurts my back. A lot. Trust me. I would know. Happened this morning. And did you really need to _punch_ me? WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT TO PUSH PEOPLE AROUND LIKE THIS?"

Tsugumi sighed, "First off, I call the right half!" She announced, pouncing onto the bed in a cat-like fashion. "Secondly, I give myself the right to treat others the way I do. Thirdly, you need to stop being so rude."

"H-Hey! Don't just go deciding things on your own!" Daryl snapped. However, Tsugumi ignored him. She quickly threw the sheets over her and hugged her pillow. "And do you have a problem with me or something? You always mess with me like this! That's pretty rude too, right?" Daryl refuted.

Tsugumi flipped over onto her back and playfully smirked, "Nope. I don't have a problem. Not. At. All."

Daryl groaned in frustration, "Then why?"

Tsugumi frowned, eyeing Daryl with disappointment, "I thought I already explained this to you. Did you forget already?" She slowly sat up, hugged her pillow, and shot Daryl the cutest smile he may have ever seen in his life, "You're really cute when your mad. Your reactions are interesting. Really entertaining I must say." Tsugumi giggled, hugging the pillow closer to her. Daryl was left breathless, and he face grew hot.

_Her smile... was so— No! I am not going to admit that she just looked extremely cute! I am not attracted to her in the slightest bit whatsoever! There is nothing attractive about this stupid, god damn runt! _ "Well. If you're not going to sleep next to me, then you can go sleep on that sofa again. Your choice." She smirked. Daryl hesitantly slipped under the sheets on his half of the bed. He made sure to turn his back to her and he tried to avoid making any physical contact whatsoever. _I said that I wasn't going to sleep on the floor or on the sofa... I guess I really don't have much of a choice. I hate what this stupid runt does to me. My life would be much, much simpler without her! But still... _Tsugumi turned her back towards Daryl as well. However, in the process, her leg accidentally hit Daryl's foot.

"Eek!" Tsugumi shirked. "YOUR FEET ARE SO COLD!"

Daryl alarmingly jumped a little, "T-Then don't touch me!"

"It was an accident! Anyways, are you always this cold?" Tsugumi curiously asked, turning to face Daryl. However, instead of seeing Daryl's bright, purple eyes, her face was greeted by his back. _Sheesh. His feet are so cold. That seriously kinda scared me. I wonder if he's always this cold... Seriously. He even has his back turned to me. _

"Hey, Daryl. Turn around."

"Why should I, runt?"

"Don't be so cold!"

"Don't make a stupid pun like that ever again." Daryl coldly responded, trying to stay turned around.

"But I'm being serious!" Tsugumi declared with a sudden assertive tone. Daryl was about to protest, but he gave in and sighed, turning around. Tsugumi stared deeply into his alluring, bright purple eyes and asked, "Are you lonely, Daryl?"

Daryl was perplexed at her sudden question just like when she had asked it earlier today. "This question again? Why are you asking this all of a sudden?"

"Because I started talking about how cold you were, but anyways, are you lonely?"

Daryl laughed, "Hah! _Me_? _Lonely_? You've got to be kidding. I'm Kill 'Em All Daryl. Do you expect _me_ to be _lonely_?"

Tsugumi frowned and whispered, "You have to stop lying to yourself. You can't run away from the truth forever. After you face the truth, you feel a lot better. I would know..."

_Huh? What is she trying to do exactly? I just don't get this runt. Lying to myself? Running away? What the hell would I be running away from other than Rowan and Segai trying to ruin my life?_

Interrupting Daryl's train of thought, Tsugumi blurted out, "Oh well! It's understandable if you can't answer that right away! I couldn't either! Took me years! _Years_! You should sleep on it! Good night, Daryl!" Tsugumi smiled before flipping back over. Daryl did the same and murmured, "Good night..."

"Hm? What was that?"

"N-Nothing!"

"O~kay. I believe you, Daryl." Tsugumi sarcastically said. "Good night to you too, Daryl." Tsugumi whispered before finally going to sleep.

_"You should sleep on it!"_

And he did. However, he fell asleep far quicker than he imagined he would.

_Am I lonely, huh..._ _That's a really good question, runt. Even I can't answer that yet._

* * *

><p>Tsugumi's eyes slowly fluttered open. The sun shone through the curtains and directly onto her face. She just couldn't stay asleep. It was practically impossible with the sun literally in your face.<p>

Along with Daryl.

When she woke up, she found herself in an extremely intimate position. Her head was rested snugly on his chest, and his head was gently resting on hers. Daryl's arms were lightly wrapped around Tsugumi's body, making her unable to move. Their legs were intertwined which didn't bother Tsugumi as much as she wanted it to since his feet were no longer cold as ice. Tsugumi lightly blushed, taking in everything that was going on. _He's really... warm. I want to just get up and leave, but at the same time I don't. _Tsugumi hated to admit it, but she actually liked the situation she was in. In fact, she didn't want Daryl to wake up because once he did, he would immediately try to get away from her. She didn't want him to leave. She knew that deep down in her heart, she actually liked Daryl's arms lightly wrapped around her. It was... _comforting_. She loved it.

And she hated herself so much for it.

* * *

><p><strong>Whew! Finished this before the weekend! Finally! Anyways, thanks for reading and please R&amp;R. I'm extremely grateful to know that there are people actually reading this even though I'm really not that great of a writer (even though I like to pretend I am sometimes). One more episode left of Guilty Crown. Tsugumi better get that Happy Ending. And that Happy Ending better include a LIVING, HEALTHY, BREATHING, HAPPY DARYL. Don't disappoint me GC Staff. And if we don't get a happy ending with Daryl, I'll write my own happy ending fjsdklfjsffff. Anyways. This chapter is like... 2x longer than my other ones, but it makes up for that extremely short Chapter 5. There may be tiny errors here and there. I'm not sure. So hadr to keep Daryl in character! But oh well. I DON'T CARE ANYMORE. The GC Staff can't even keep him consistent. It should be fine <strong> **And when Daryl asked Rowan why was he even there, I was like: Because he's Segai's bitch. OH YEAH. Excuse my language. ; A ; And Ayase is actually very hard to write since there's very limited actions she can do since she's in a wheelchair... Oh well. That's something I can improve at. Ugh. I write WAAYY too much at the end of every chapter.**


	7. Trust and Suspicion

_Trust and Suspicion_

Daryl awoke to find himself in a very strange situation. He was in a very intimate position with Tsugumi, who was now temporarily staying at his place. Daryl looked down to find Tsugumi's head resting snugly on his chest, his arms wrapped lightly around her small body. He could feel the warmth from her thin legs wrapped around his. He madly blushed, and quickly jerked up, scrambling to get out of the bed as fast as possible. However, Tsugumi tightly wrapped her arms around him, trying to keep him from leaving. Not wanting him to leave, Tsugumi whispered, "Five more minutes..."

Daryl's face grew slightly redder as he slowly slipped back under the blankets, unsure of why exactly she wanted him to stay. He reluctantly lied down on his side with Tsugumi's arms wrapped lightly around his body this time. However, Tsugumi's eyes flashed open. Suddenly snapped back into reality, she quickly sat up, releasing Daryl, realizing what she was doing. _C-Crap!... I should've paid closer attention to what I was doing! I hope he doesn't get the wrong idea. _Daryl blankly stared back at Tsugumi, supporting himself with his arm, slightly sitting up.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't realize what I was doing!" Tsugumi apologized, lightly rubbing the back of her head. "I guess I was still kinda half asleep."

Daryl lightly blushed, trying to avoid eye-contact, "A-Ah... I guess it's okay. Just... Try to pay more attention to what you're doing next time. Sheesh, runt. I thought you'd be more careful than that!" Daryl forced himself to call her "runt", so he could hide the fact that he really didn't mind.

* * *

><p>Rowan snickered behind his screen, watching the scene unfold, "Coward." He smiled, taking a sip of his coffee. Meanwhile, Segai was snapping pictures of Daryl's surprised and embarrassed face. He pressed a few buttons and added them to his folder of Daryl pictures.<p>

He smiled, "It's so intriguing to see Daryl make certain expressions. It's like a side of him we never get to see. I love learning more about people! People are so interesting!" Segai spun around in his chair, thinking. He stopped and looked at Rowan, "Say... Wouldn't Daryl be considered... What was it? A... Tsundere?"

"Tsun... dere?" Rowan said with a questioning tone.

"Someone who acts harsh to others trying to cover up how they really feel. Like how, just now, he called her runt. He didn't sound that upset before."

"I see... Interesting."

_Daryl?... A tsundere? That describes him fairly well. I wonder how he would react if I told him this._

And before he knew it, Rowan became a major supporter of their relationship. At first, he just wanted to tease him for the fun of it. Now it has just spiraled out of control.

Completely. Out. Of. Control.

"_Nee..._ Chief?"

"Hm?"

"Is it strange if I actually want to see them get together once all of this is over?"

"Nope. Not one bit."

Rowan innocently smiled. _I guess Daryl really is a good kid deep down inside... _Segai got up and announced, "I am going to go grab something to drink. Want to come with me?"

Rowan got up and nodded, quickly following Segai out of the room.

* * *

><p>There was a strange silence in the room. To break the awkward silence, Daryl announced, looking at the time, "We have to report to HQ in two hours."<p>

Tsugumi nodded, "Okay. That's a while from now... Oh, Daryl?"

"Hm?"

"I'm hungry."

Daryl frowned, "Well maybe if you actually decided on a _proper_ dinner to eat last night instead of SHOVING CAKE DOWN MY THROAT, you wouldn't be starving." He sighed and motioned for Tsugumi to come with him to the kitchen.

Tsugumi nervously laughed, "Haha! Sorry, Daryl~ You know what? To make it up to you, I'll make breakfast. How does egg omelets sound?"

Daryl sighed, "Sure whatever. Make what you want."

Tsugumi smiled, "Okay!" She quickly rushed out of the elevator and into the kitchen, quickly grabbing what she needed. Daryl patiently sat at the table, waiting for Tsugumi to finish making breakfast. When she finished, she recklessly waltzed into the room, carrying two plates.

"Breakfast is served!" She giggled. "Go ahead! Dig in!"

_It looks so... plain... _Daryl was reluctant to try it, but for the sake of keeping her happy, he took a small piece and plopped it into his mouth. Surprised, Daryl commented, "Hey... This is actually pretty good!"

"Why thank you!" Tsugumi grinned, staring at Daryl enjoying his meal. Daryl realized that she was staring at him and lightly blushed.

"W-What are you looking at?" Daryl nervously asked.

"You know what, Daryl?"

"Hm?"

Tsugumi stared at his face, closely inspecting him, which made Daryl somewhat nervous, "You look a lot cuter with glasses on. But you're more handsome without them..."

Daryl snapped, his face quickly growing hot, "W-Where did that come from? What does that have to do with anything?"

"Just saying." Tsugumi smiled, shrugging, satisfied that Daryl was getting so worked up. "Sheesh. You don't have to get so worked up. I'm complimenting you."

"But what does that have to do with anything?" Daryl groaned, massaging his forehead.

"Like I said before. I'm just sayin'. Plus. What's wrong with being good-looking? If someone compliments my hair, I gladly thank them. And besides! Remember what I said?"

"I know, I know!" Daryl frowned. "If someone does something nice for you, you should just shut up and accept it!" Daryl assertively said, trying to mock her voice.

Tsugumi snorted, "I don't sound like that." She then burst out laughing, clutching her stomach. She wiped a tear from her eye. "Hah! You really suck at imitating my voice."

He furrowed his brows, angry that she was making fun of his half-assed attempt at trying to sound like a girl. He retorted, "Well you didn't exactly do a good job of imitating me either!"

Tsugumi glared at him, upset that he remembered her terrible attempt, "W-Whatever! No big deal! A-Anyways... Hurry up! We gotta get going!"

"But it's not even time yet."

"WHATEVER! JUST HURRY UP!"

Daryl frowned. _Why is she the one giving out orders? Shouldn't it be the other way around? _Daryl sighed and quickly finished the rest of his omelet. They quickly got up and threw the dishes in the sink and left. It was a beautiful day. The sun was fully out, shining down on Tokyo Bay, making the water sparkle. There was a light breeze, and there was hardly a cloud in sight. Tsugumi took in a deep breath of fresh air and happily exhaled. "It feels so good outside!" Daryl nodded in agreement, slightly smiling. He was glad that she was in a better mood now. _At least she's not angry anymore... _Daryl strolled up to the entrance and opened the door, letting Tsugumi in first.

"Well you're being awfully nice now."

"I'm being a _kind gentleman_ right now. No need to comment. Just say thanks and get over it. When someone does something nice for you, you should just shut up and accept it." Daryl smirked, reciting her infamous phrase very _articulately_. Tsugumi groaned and accepted defeat, "Okay. Whatever. You win this time!" She stomped ahead and into the elevator, and Daryl smiled triumphantly. "Hmph. About time."

Tsugumi grumbled as the elevator closed. _I can't believe I lost this time! He got me TWO times in a row! _Meanwhile, everyone who witnessed the scene began madly whispering.

"_Who's that girl?"_

_"When did she get here?"_

_"Do the higher-ups know about this?"_

_"Why is she with the Lieutenant?"_

_"She's wearing a school uniform!"_

All the whispering made Tsugumi somewhat uncomfortable. She wasn't used to getting all this attention. After all, Tsugumi was Funeral Parlor's hacker. She was always the person working hard behind the scenes. _Well this is... uncomfortable._

Daryl dropped her off at Segai's office and wave good-bye, "I'll be somewhere else doing my own thing. See ya." And he quickly left, heading towards the cockpit, about to get changed into his plugsuit. Tsugumi tried to wave back, but he was already gone. Tsugumi sighed and entered Segai's office. He was doing his usual thing, a crossword puzzle on his cellphone. He looked up and smiled, "Ah. Good to see you. Are you ready to begin your work?"

Tsugumi nodded and curiously inquired, "So... What exactly am I supposed to do?"

He answered, rapidly typing in words into his phone, "Ah. It's very simple, really. I have a suspicion that the UN may be getting somewhat... suspicious about Japan. You are to interfere with anything UN-related signals entering Japan. That includes, satellites, airplanes... You know... That kind of stuff."

Tsugumi was, honestly, incredibly disappointed. Segai quickly took note of her disappointed and quickly added, "Oh... And... By the way, Tsugumi, was it?"

She nodded.

"When you're done, report back to me. I have a special request for you. No one else must know about this. Oh and... I would like you to restore internet access to Loop 7. That'll be all." And he quickly went back to his crossword puzzle, as if Tsugumi had already left the room. Tsugumi nodded and quickly exited the room. She sat down in front of the large super computer, unsure of what to do first. There was so much she could do with this one computer! But what first? _Maybe... Maybe I should restore internet access first! That'll reassure some of the students! _Tsugumi quickly went to work, rapidly typing in a plethora of codes. She restored access to Loop 7, strictly following orders. She opened a multitude of windows. Her hands flew over the keyboard with ease. Never once did she stop typing. To her surprise, there were only three signals she could detect, and none of them were from the UN. There were no activated satellites. The only threatening one was the leukocyte.

"This isn't right..." Tsugumi muttered under her breath. _Why am I even here? There's nothing threatening us from the UN at the time! Why do they need me? Is he just stalling for time? That special request... What could it be? This seems unusually fishy. Why am I supposed to be under Daryl's surveillance at all times if I'm not going to be doing anything? Do they really need me? I guess I should just enjoy this while it lasts... _Tsugumi brushed it off and went to report back to Segai since there was absolutely nothing to interfere with.

He turned around and frowned, "I guess I was wrong after all... Just wanted to confirm any suspicions I had. Anyways! About that special request! The third Void Genome."

Tsugumi gasped and quickly covered her mouth, "W-What? A _third_ one?"

Segai nodded, "Yes. Why, in fact, I believe that it may actually be _here. _In these headquarters, hidden away. I want you to find _any _evidence regarding this genome in the database. No matter how locked up tight it is, I'm sure _you_ can find it, right? _Black Swan_? Good luck. I expect results. The quicker you get this done, the less jobs you'll have. In fact... you know what? If you _do_ happen to find evidence of its existence here, I'll do you a little favor... You miss your friends, right?"

Tsugumi desperately nodded, unaware of what "favor" he was offering, "Yes!"

He chuckled, "I'll let you watch over your friends from afar. After all, we have _everything _under surveillance. That way, you'll be reassured that they're safe, away from harm. You can even track Ouma-kun's actions if you wish."

All she could do was nod, nod, and nod before finally exiting the room. Once she got out, she began feverishly typing, hacking away into the system, breaking all locks, decoding all codes, disabling all passwords. Her eyes closely examined every last character on the screen. Every last detail. And by the time she was finished, she came to an abrupt stop. Tsugumi found what she was looking for.

And she found something she wish she didn't find.

"The... third Void Genome... I found it! But... This is– !"

It was a security camera placed in a strange chamber of sorts, somewhere underground it seemed. The Void Genome was _indeed_ here. However, there was a lot more here than she thought there was, and before her very eyes, there he was.

Tsutsugami Gai.

Her eyes widened in fear, in disbelief. She was appalled by the dreadful sight. _But! He should be... He's dead! He should be dead! Gai!... He died! We knew he did! But... Why? _Tsugumi heard Segai's footsteps in the distance and quickly exited out of the window, the image of Tsutsugami Gai vividly engraved in her memory.

"You found it... Didn't you?"

She tried to avoid eye-contact with him. _So does he know? Does he know that I found out about Gai? What's he going to do to me?_

To her surprise, instead of being upset, Segai was over-joyed, "The third Void Genome! It's here! It's really here!"

"H-Huh? Aye, aye!... But... Why is there... A third one?" Tsugumi questioned, still shocked. _Phew... He didn't find out!_

"I don't know myself... But anyways! Enough with this depressing atmosphere! You're free to go for today. Daryl should be back soon."

Just like Segai had predicted, Daryl had soon staggered in, Rowan closely trailing behind him, worried for his well-being. He was still in his plugsuit, and he looked very fatigued. He was carrying his uniform on his left, his boots on his right. Daryl was upset, frustrated even. It was as if he had some sort of curse placed on him ever since his first encounter with Shu. He's always the first one to go down for whatever strange reason.

Segai frowned, "What happened this time?"

"Don't want to talk about it. I'll be leaving now. Common, runt. Let's go."

Tsugumi sighed, "Okay. Whatever. Let's go. Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Tsugumi asked, already on her way to the elevator. Daryl groaned, obviously not wanting to talk about it.

"I'll be fine... Anyways, what about you? What'd you do today?"

Tsugumi shifted her eyes left and right, not wanting to share her troubles with Daryl, "Not much. Just some simple hacking stuff. Dug some files up. Tracked some signals. Same old boring stuff."

"Ah. I see. Oh. Can you help me carry my clothes?"

"Oh. Sure!" Tsugumi happily agreed, stretching out her arms. They were surprisingly lighter than she thought they would be. She eyed his uniform with curiosity. "Hey, Daryl?"

"Hm?" Daryl responded, slightly slowing down until he was next to Tsugumi.

She looked up at Daryl, her eyes slightly twinkling, and pleaded, "Can I try on your jacket?"

Daryl shot her a look of slight disgust, slightly furrowing his brows. He harshly snapped, "And why should I?"

Tsugumi pretended to seem hurt, trying to get on Daryl's sensitive side. _Crap... D-Did I upset her? I guess... it should be fine..._ Daryl frowned and sighed, "Fine... Just... Don't get it dirty!" He said, crossing his arms.

Tsugumi grinned and twirled in front of Daryl in joy, "Thanks! Wait! Let me get it on first!" She exclaimed, slipping on Daryl's jacket. It was extremely large on her, the sleeves extending way past her hands. The jacket looked like a dress on her, yet it was strangely cute and attractive on her. The jacket, combined with her cat ears, made her even more... _adorable_. Daryl stood there and stared at her, his mouth slightly agape. He was at a loss of words. _Shit... She looks really, I mean, really cute right now... _

She winked and asked, "So how do I look?" She smiled, slightly tilting her head to the left. She giggled, "Judging by your facial expression, I'm too cute for words?"

Tsugumi expected him to explode from embarrassment. However, instead of him coming up with some witty remark, he stood there and bluntly said, "_Yeah_." Tsugumi's face grew hot, and she could feel her cheeks start to turn a slight shade of pink.

"Y-You didn't have to but it so bluntly! I-It's embarrassing!" Tsugumi admitted, her voice slowly growing into a inaudible mumble as her face quickly got redder and redder. "Seriously... It's not like you to say something like that either!"

Daryl's face turned a light shade of red, finally realizing what he had just said, "H-Huh! O-Oh. Uh... Sorry, I guess? I was just complimenting you. Gosh. No need to make such a big deal out of it. I can be nice every once in a while too." He voice died down and he began to mumble, "If I feel like it... You know... It's not like I'm that nice of a person anyways..." He violently shook his head, "Anyways! D-Don't get the wrong idea, runt!" Daryl quickly added, crossing his arms. Tsugumi slowly nodded, not believing a single thing he just said. "Mmhm... Yeah. I believe you. Whatever you say, Daryl." She sarcastically sang. "Anyways! Hurry up! We're almost there!" She exclaimed, running ahead, still in his huge jacket.

Daryl sighed. _That was a close one... Anyways... If she likes my jacket so much, why don't I just get one for her? I bet she'd look prettier in one that actually fit– N-No! I mean... It'd look more... fitting. _Daryl lightly jogged until he caught up with Tsugumi. They reached his house and went up into the living room. Daryl went up to his room to quickly change while Tsugumi waited. When he came back, he grabbed her something to drink and sat down on the sofa next to her.

"So do you know when you're going to be able to go back to your friends?" Daryl asked. Tsugumi sadly shook her head and sighed, staring down at her drink. _If Gai is alive, then... But... How? _Daryl noticed her sudden change in demeanor.

"Hey. What's wrong, Tsugumi? Something on your mind?" Daryl calmly asked, staring into her eyes.

"E-Eh! N-Nothing! It's... It's nothing."

Daryl's face grew tense, "Something's wrong."

"Nothing's wrong!" Tsugumi snapped, reluctant to tell Daryl. However, Daryl didn't react to her sudden behavior. He calmly looked her in the eye, convinced that she was keeping something from him.

He sighed, "Tsugumi, I _know_ something's wrong. You can tell me. You can tell me _anything_. If there's something wrong, you can't just hide it forever. You're not going to feel any better. Besides. You're not doing a good job of hiding it anyways." He scoffed.

"Eh!" Tsugumi fluttered her eyelashes and jerked her head to look at Daryl, surprised by his sudden kindness. "D-Daryl..." _Maybe it's okay if I tell him..._

"I was doing Segai a favor and looking for something, but in the midst of everything, I accidentally opened up a security camera I probably wasn't supposed to be looking at... And... When I finally realized what it was, I saw him."

"Him?"

Tsugumi sadly nodded, "Tsutsugami Gai... Funeral Parlor's leader... _Who died_."

"But..." Daryl was at a loss for words. "He's dead, though! He died!"

"That's what I don't understand!" Tsugumi yelled in frustration and groaned. She frowned, unable to comprehend anything anymore. Nothing made sense anymore! Absolutely nothing!

Daryl frowned, realizing how distressed she was. He got up and made his way towards the elevator. Tsugumi quickly stretched out her hand and tugged on his black blouse. "Where are you going?"

"I'll cook dinner tonight since you made breakfast. It's the least I can do to cheer you up." Daryl responded, smiling, and he continued towards the elevator. "I'll call you down when I'm down!" He turned around and smiled one more time before finally getting in the elevator, leaving Tsugumi breathless. The doors finally shut behind him, and Tsugumi looked back down at her drink, lightly blushing. "Daryl... I always knew that he was a nice guy deep down inside, but... I never knew that he could be _that_ nice..."

Tsugumi slowly finished her drink, lost in her thoughts. _I wonder what happened to turn him into such a... troubled person. _That's when she came to a revelation.

A revelation that would change the rest of her life.

She looked down at her hands, smiling.

_I want to change him... And I want to be there, by his side, the whole time. I want to be there to see it happen. I know it may be selfish... I know it may be foolish... But..._

"I want him to be happy..."

* * *

><p><strong>Whew! Finally finished! I had EOC, a state assessment, lots of homework... BUT I FINALLY FINISHED! <strong>**Thanks for reading! Please R&R! I would like to thank ALL OF YOU- everyone who has reviewed, favorited, added this to their alerts, or even read this story. Thank you all so much! You all keep me going and motivate me to keep writing! Sorry if the quality of my writing has dropped! Anyways. I am incredibly disappointed with Guilty Crown's finale, especially what happened to Daryl. NO EPILOGUE COVERAGE. AT LEAST LET ME KNOW THAT MY BBY IS ALIVE. Although... We all do know that Daryl went chasing after his future waifu when he got out... We all know that ;) *coughheadcanoncough* I am totally giving these two a happy ending in this fic =_= No doubt about it.**

**And I didn't really expect you all to catch on but... I don't know why it turned out this way, but Rowan and Segai are like... All us sad Dargumi-obsessed shippers put into a fanfic. LOL. I have no idea how it turned out like this. It just... Happened. Looolll. Rowan's an obsessed fan-girl.**


	8. Our Many Promises

_Our Many Promises_

"_Oi!_ Tsugumi, dinner's ready!"

Tsugumi heard Daryl's faint voice through the living room floor. She tightly gripped her cup and quickly went down to the kitchen. Entering the kitchen, she hastily made her way to the sink to rinse out her cup before sitting down at the kitchen table. Daryl was patiently waiting for her, already seated. To her surprise, there were three elegant dishes made in record time. _That was fast! I guess he wasn't lying when he said he knew how to cook pretty well. Well? More like extremely well! _Her hands tensed on her chopsticks, contemplating what she should eat first.

"Itadakimasu!"

Tsugumi aimed for the closest plate, plopping the mouthwatering food into her hungry mouth. Her eyes widened and she laid her chopsticks neatly on top of her bowl of rice. "Daryl..."

"Hm? What is it? Something wrong?"

She shook her head, "This is _amazing, _Daryl! How'd you learn to get so good at cooking?" Tsugumi exclaimed as she began to dig in.

Daryl answered, "Well... I lived most of my life alone, so I just ended up teaching myself. When my dad was home, he'd take me out to high-end restaurants, so I just examined their food and the flavors and stuff. No big deal."

"Oh... I see." Tsugumi nodded, now interested in his past.

Daryl put his hand on his chin as if he were thinking of something. He finally opened his mouth to speak, "Say, Tsugumi? What's it like to go to school?" Daryl asked, his face brimming with curiosity.

Tsugumi caressed her cheek with the palm of her hand, "Well... Actually, the thing is... I don't really know." She chuckled, "You see, I don't really go to school, despite my young age."

_I never knew that before... I forget that she's with Funeral Parlor sometimes..._

"So... What about your friends?"

Tsugumi smiled, "Only Inoreen and Shu go to school. Then there's the student council members who have been supporting us Funeral Parlor members, letting us take refuge in the school." She gazed over at Daryl, "It must've been really hard on you, Daryl... You must've been really lonely, not having friends..."

_There goes that 'lonely' crap again... But I wonder... Am I lonely? _Daryl scoffed, "Me? Lonely? You've got to be joking. Why would I be lonely?"

"You're lying."

Daryl stayed silent and tried to avoid any eye contact whatsoever. His eyes shifted left to right. _Crap... She's really good at reading people... But why does she care anyways? What have I done to make her care about me?_

Tsugumi frowned, "Trust me... I know what it's like... To be neglected. To be _alone_."

_Wait... So she?... She too? She understands how I feel? W-Why should I trust her? I mean... I know I offered to make dinner to cheer her up and all, but this is getting a bit too serious, isn't it? But... I want to know more, but I don't want to be nosy or anything. _

Tsugumi continued, "You know... I used to be all alone until I met Gai. That's when I joined the Funeral Parlor, and that's when I made my very first friend. A pet robot he gave me, Funnell."

His eyes widened, realizing that she was telling the truth. He smiled, "I guess we really don't know anything about each other."

She laughed, quickly devouring her rice. Tsugumi smiled, "Then maybe you should tell me more about yourself." She suggested, pointing at him with her chopsticks.

Daryl quickly finished what was left of his rice and sighed, "I don't see why I shouldn't." He took a few deep breaths and finally began, "You see... Ever since I was a kid, I was pretty much neglected by my father. To be honest, I all I ever wanted was his approval. I always thought that maybe he was testing me or something, but I was a kid back then, absolutely _stupid_. Turns out, he just didn't give a shit about me. He doesn't even believe I'm his biological son. I'll admit, I didn't know how he really felt about me until a few months before all of this happened." He said, pointing out the window. "I guess... I went kind of crazy. I had this unhealthy obsession with finally gaining my father's recognition, but turns out, all this time, he's been talking bad behind my back while he flirts with his secret girlfriend or whatever." Daryl sadly gazed out the window, "It makes me wonder... Why did he even bother keeping me alive all these years?"

Tsugumi sadly looked at Daryl. _He must've went through a lot... I'll do it. I'll take responsibility for this! I can make him happy! He should forget about what his father did to him! _Daryl glanced over at Tsugumi and noticed the solemn look on her face. Concerned, he reassured her, "A-Ah! But don't worry about it! I've gotten over it, so you don't need to... You know..."

"E-Eh..." Tsugumi jerked her head up and her eyes met his. She smiled, "That's good to know... Thanks, Daryl."

"Huh? Thanks for what?"

She laughed, "For worrying about me! That's why you offered to make dinner too, right?" She grinned. "You're a really sweet guy sometimes, Daryl. You know that?"

Daryl blushed, "W-Whatever!" He quickly regained composure and offered to take her bowl and wash the dishes. Tsugumi happily thanked him for his kind gesture and didn't object. Right before he left, he added, smirking, "I guess we have a lot in common, after all."

"Hm?"

"We both know what it's like to be alone... But that can't be that much of a bad thing, right?" Daryl said, glancing back at Tsugumi. She smiled, "Yep! And... Thanks, Daryl..."

"For what?" Daryl curiously asked.

"You really cheered me up. I didn't even realize that I wasn't upset anymore." She giggled, "Thanks for caring about me, Daryl!"

He blushed again and quickly walked out, "W-Whatever, runt! You're welcome!"

Tsugumi giggled again. _He's so cute when he's embarrassed! He blushes so easily too. It's like he doesn't even try to hide it! He even made an effort to call me runt. _Tsugumi smirked, slowly getting up. She walked past Daryl and noticed his body stiffen as she walked by which made her laugh. "I'm going to go take a bath if that's fine with you!"

"Sure. Whatever. I don't mind as long as you don't make a mess."

Tsugumi turned and halted on her heels, "Aye, aye! Don't worry, Daryl. I'll be _very, very_ careful~" Tsugumi rushed to the elevator, looking forward to her bath. Meanwhile, Daryl finished drying all the dishes and went up to the living room to think. He slouched back into the sofa, his hand running through his hair.

"I just don't get her..." Daryl sighed.

"_You're really a sweet guy sometimes, Daryl. You know that?"_

Daryl grew flustered, remembering how she complimented him a few minutes ago. He ruffled his hair, his face turning a light tint of red. His heart began to pulse faster and faster. _What is this feeling?..._

"I really don't get you sometimes... How can I be sweet? I'm rude and unforgiving."

Daryl massaged his forehead and groaned, tilting his head back.

_Why is she so nice to me?_

* * *

><p>Tsugumi twisted the knob, stopping the tub from filling up any more. She dipped her foot in and slowly made her way into the tub. When she was finally settled, she allowed herself to relax, leaning against the edge. She slowly shampooed her hair and rinsed her body of any dirt or anything like that. She stroked her damp silky hair, mindlessly watching the tiny ripples she made in the water, and she sighed. She gazed up at the ceiling, her mind quickly wandering to Daryl. She hugged her knees and rested her head on her arm, gently smiling, her eyes lightly shut.<p>

_Living with Daryl really isn't that bad. _Tsugumi softly giggled. _Living with him... That's not actually a bad idea. Maybe I should permanently start living with him one day. Plus, he's a great cook. I guess, in return, I could clean up the place... Even though there's not much to clean. Maybe I could do the laundry. Sheesh... I sound like his wife or something now. His... wife? Living with him? Acting like his wife...? _Tsugumi's eyes flashed open, realizing what she had just thought of. Her heart began to pound, and her face became a deep shade of red. She sank down into the water, embarrassed by what she had just thought of. _Me? His wife? Why would I ever think of something as stupid as that? It's not like I like him THAT way. I don't like, like him. We're just friends! _

"What is wrong with me?" Tsugumi sighed, slowly getting out of the tub. _I should just forget about all of this... _Tsugumi bent over and grabbed her towel, trying to dry her hair as much as possible. That's when she realized that the only clothes she had was her uniform. _I don't really want to get it wet since it's the only thing I have... Maybe I should... Should I?_

…

"DARYL!"

* * *

><p>"DARYL!"<p>

Daryl jolted up in panic. "Tsugumi?"

_Something's wrong! _He ran to the elevator and frantically ran out when he reached his bedroom floor, panting and lightly sweating, "Tsugumi? What's wrong?"

He could faintly hear her voice from behind the door. "Oh! I was just wondering if you had anything I could wear to sleep!"

_That's it? THAT'S ALL? You've got to be fucking kidding me. _Daryl knitted his brows together in frustration, realizing that she wasn't in trouble, yet he was relieved at the same time. _At least she wasn't actually hurt or anything... _He sighed, "Wait a moment. I'll be back really quick!"

Daryl dug through his clothes and grabbed a black t-shirt and black gym shorts and knocked on the bathroom door. Tsugumi quickly wrapped her towel around her body and rushed to the door. The door flew open, and Daryl casually stood there with the clothes neatly folded in his hands. Daryl realized that Tsugumi was only wearing a towel. His eyes began to wander up and down her body, and his face grew hot. He reluctantly handed her the clothes, "H-Here you... go..." He stuttered, his eyes now examining her slim thighs.

Tsugumi shot him a sly smirk. Tsugumi purposefully moved closer to Daryl before finally taking the clothes. His blush turned into an even darker shade of red. She giggled at how flustered he was. _He's so adorable! _She smiled and turned around, walking back into the bathroom. She turned around to look at Daryl's embarrassed face and smirked again, "Hoho! You naughty, _naughty_ boy. Peeking is bad, you know?"

"But I wasn't!– Shut up, runt!" He yelled, tightly gripping the door knob and slamming it shut. Daryl marched out of the room embarrassed and slightly enraged.

Tsugumi leaned against the door, tightly holding onto his clothes and giggled, "I love it when he gets mad."

She held his clothes up to her face and took a whiff, "He smells nice..." Tsugumi stiffened and quickly lowered his clothes from her face. _What am I doing?_

She began to put on the clothes Daryl lended her. When Tsugumi looked in the mirror, she realized how baggy they really were on her. _Thank goodness Daryl's thin! _Tsugumi eyed her reflection with mild curiosity, scheming how she would tease him next, as usual. _I probably don't even have to do anything. I could just walk out, and he'd totally humiliate himself. _Tsugumi snickered to herself, imagining what kind of reaction he would have. She picked up the towel she found and walked out, turning off the lights. When she made it half-way through Daryl's bedroom, she realized something. She found herself walking towards the bottom left corner of the room. _Woah. This place has stairs too! _

Tsugumi swiftly ran down the stairwells until she made it to the living room. Right before she reached the bottom, she leaped off the third-to-last step, startling Daryl. Her face was beaming, "Hey, Daryl! Why didn't you tell me this place had stairs?" She asked, skipping towards him in a cute manner. Daryl slowly backed up, scared that she would tackle him or something.

He could feel a bead of sweat roll down his face. _W-Why is she so happy about the fact that my house has stairs? That's... not normal. _"Um... I don't really know? Why are you so happy about there being stairs here anyways?"

Tsugumi slyly looked around, "Oh I don't know. There's just this sense of satisfaction you get from walking up and down stairs."

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing. Forget I said anything!"

Tsugumi stood in front of Daryl and innocently looked down at her clothes, constantly pulling it up, trying to keep Daryl's t-shirt from sliding off her shoulders. "But you know... Your clothes are so big on me! Thank goodness you're so skinny! Your shirt keeps sliding off my shoulder!" Tsugumi put her hands on her hips, his shirt sliding off her right shoulder. However, she ignored it on purpose. "Thanks for letting me borrow these though!" Tsugumi smiled, waiting for Daryl's response.

Daryl stared at her, noting how big his shirt was on her. _I never realized how small she was until now... But still... Is there anything she looks bad in? I hate to admit it, but she looks really cute right now, too... Shit! Something's obviously wrong with me! _

"Y-You're welcome." He stuttered, trying to keep himself from getting embarrassed like before. _I shouldn't say anything without thinking like I did back there... It'll just give her the wrong idea. I feel like she's scheming something though... _That's when he realized that his shirt had slipped off her right shoulder. He felt his face grow hot.

Tsugumi noticed his face turning a light shade of red and giggled, "Staring is rude, you know?" Her lips curled into a tiny smile. She cooed, "Hmm? Don't tell me that you think I look cute right now? You're making it awfully obvious. Maybe you should work on that."

Daryl's face turned even redder. He stuttered, "I-I wasn't staring!" He avoided looking at her and mumbled, "Stupid runt..."

She grinned, "Admit it! You totally just thought that I was absolutely _adorable_."

He cursed under his breath and mumbled, his voice completely inaudible, "So... What about it?"

"Hm? I didn't quite catch that." Tsugumi teasingly remarked.

He groaned, "Okay, okay! You looked really cute just now! Now leave me _alone_! Stop messing with me like that! It's _not_ funny!"

Tsugumi giggled and took a seat on the sofa. She looked up at Daryl and laughed, "Whatever you say, Daryl."

"Don't laugh at me!"

She laughed again, "I'm sorry! You're so cute when you get mad!"

"W-What is that supposed to mean?" Daryl yelled, utterly humiliated by Tsugumi's playful actions. Her impertinence was really starting to get to him. "A-Anyways... I'm going to go shower quickly!" Daryl abruptly turned around and marched up to his room leaving Tsugumi satisfied.

* * *

><p>Daryl entered his room completely flustered."I can't believe I just admitted that she was cute..."<p>

He spoke the truth though. She _was_ cute, and he knew it. Daryl was just too stubborn to accept his own feelings. He sighed, closing the bathroom door behind him. _Having her around me all the time can't be good for my health... Maybe she has some sort of deadly germ that's getting to my head. _He sighed and began to contemplate about what had just happened. _Girls are so confusing. I feel like I'm repeating myself, but... I really don't get her... Stupid runt..._

When Daryl finished showering, he dried his hair with his towel and quickly combed through it. He strolled down to the living room, running his hands through his pale blonde hair, trying to fix some stray strands of hair. Tsugumi looked up at Daryl and noticed how messy his hair was. She stood up and titled her head to the right and said, "Daryl! Bend over!"

"H-Huh? Why?"

"I'm _helping_ you. Sheesh. I'm not always thinking of ways to mess with you!" Tsugumi sighed.

Daryl mumbled, slightly bending over, tilting his head downwards, "I never said anything like that..."

Tsugumi ran her hands through his pale blonde hair, fixing and flattening certain parts of his hair. "Wow... It's so soft."

"Uh? Thanks?" Daryl wasn't sure how to respond to her sudden compliment. He could feel her hand lightly rushing through his hair. It was actually, strangely, a pleasant feeling.

She patted his head twice and smiled, "All done!"

Daryl lifted his head and straightened his back, nervously touching his hair, "Um... Thanks, Tsugumi..."

Tsugumi giggled and stood up on her tiptoes, running her fingers through his hair one more time. "You are very welcome!"

Daryl frowned, "What's the point in fixing my hair if you're just going to mess it up again?"

She grinned, "Why not?"

Daryl sighed, and took a seat on the sofa. Tsugumi did the same, still smiling. They talked and teased each other until their hair dried. Finally, they went to bed, Daryl utterly humiliated by Tsugumi _again_.

* * *

><p>Tsugumi tossed and turned, unable to sleep. She turned around to find Daryl fast asleep. <em>Ugh... Why can't I sleep?<em> Tsugumi got up and dragged herself to the balcony, which was connected to Daryl's room. She slid the glass door open and walked out, taking a deep breath, enjoying the fresh air. Tsugumi leaned against the railing and looked up at the starry sky, sighing. _I know I said that I wanted to change him and be by his side the whole time, but... I can't keep this up forever... They're going to have to send me back to Shu and the others one day. They can't keep me here forever..._

Daryl heard a strange screeching noise and slowly opened his eyes. He forced himself to sit up and looked to his side, realizing that Tsugumi wasn't there. He looked towards the balcony and saw Tsugumi standing outside. He grudgingly got out of bed and dragged himself to the balcony. Hearing footsteps, Tsugumi, alarmed, turned around to see Daryl.

"Why are you up, Daryl?"

He ignored her question and asked her the same thing, "Why are _you_ up?"

"Just thinking about stuff..."

He walked to her side and leaned against the railing as well. He calmly asked, "Still thinking about what happened today? You know... About Gai?"

Surprisingly, Tsugumi slowly shook her head. She bluntly admitted, slightly blushing, "Just thinking about you..."

"W-Wha?" Daryl gasped, his face blushing now as well. He nervously asked, gripping the rail harder, "W-What is that supposed to mean?"

Tsugumi shook her head again, "Nevermind... Nee, Daryl?

"W-What is it now?" Daryl asked, still shocked by her sudden boldness.

"This may be kind of weird and random, but when all of this is over, promise you'll take me out for ice cream!" Tsugumi demanded, her face suddenly beaming.

"H-Huh? You're not making any sense right now! Are you sure you're okay?" Daryl inquired, confused as to what she was thinking.

Tsugumi pouted, "Promise me you'll take me out for ice cream!"

Daryl raised a brow, "So you want me to take you out on a date when all of this is over, basically."

"ICE CREAM! NOT. A. _DATE._" Tsugumi hissed.

"Whatever." He grabbed her hand and held it up, squeezing her pinky with his. Daryl smirked, "A date it is!"

"It's not a date!" Tsugumi snapped back, her face now even redder.

Daryl laughed, "I'm just messing with you."

_He looks so... happy... _Tsugumi looked up and stared at Daryl in awe. "There's something about you right now... A side that nobody sees... You're more... _happy_."

Daryl was still confused by her strange, erratic actions. "Is there something wrong with that?"

Tsugumi giggled and looked up at Daryl, smiling, "Nope! I like this side of you."

Daryl smirked, "That's nice to know. Glad we can get along, runt."

Tsugumi put her hands on her hips and frowned at Daryl, "Even after all this time, you _still _call me runt?"

Daryl pouted, "I call you by your name sometimes too!"

Tsugumi pouted as well, crossing her arms, "Fine. Whatever, _sprout_."

Daryl turned his head towards Tsugumi and knitted his brows together, "Did you just call me _sprout_? What kind of name is that?"

Tsugumi frowned and groaned, "Stop complaining, sprout! You call me runt, so I'll call your sprout. Sprouts are young and tiny and immature, so I'll call you sprout!"

Daryl smirked and flicked her forehead, "Says the one who's obviously younger than me. How old are you anyways?"

"Fourteen!" Tsugumi harshly responded, clutching her forehead.

Daryl was kind of shocked at how much younger she was compared to him. _So she's three years younger than me? N-Not like it matters though... We're just friends... No big deal. _Tsugumi put her hand on her chin, shifting her weight from right to left. She held up her finger and asked, "Say... How old are you, Daryl?"

Daryl gazed at the city and calmly replied, "I recently turned seventeen.

Tsugumi reached a revelation and smiled, "Oh! So that's why you had that birthday cake! I'm assuming that it was before Loop 7 went under lock down?" Daryl nodded and Tsugumi rested her cheek on her hand. "So when is your birthday, Daryl?"

"August 23rd."

Tsugumi abruptly turned her whole body to face Daryl and smiled. "I promise that I'll celebrate your eighteenth birthday with you since you promised to take me out for ice cream!"

Daryl opened his mouth but no sound came out. He was left speechless. _She would really do that for me?... She... Tsugumi..._

She swiftly grabbed his hand and forced her pinky onto his, grinning ear to ear, "That makes three promises to fulfill!"

Daryl sighed and smirked, "I have a bad feeling that there's going to be more..."

"You gotta fulfill all of them though! You can't go back on your words! You pinky promised! 'Kay?" Tsugumi giggled.

Daryl smiled, "Okay, okay... I promise."

Tsugumi smiled back and dragged him back into the bedroom, arm-in-arm.

* * *

><p>They went back to bed. However, instead of falling asleep, Tsugumi pretended to fall asleep. Daryl was now restless and couldn't sleep, his mind wandering back to the conversation they had recently just had. Meanwhile, Tsugumi was scheming something. <em>I wonder what would happen if I... <em>Tsugumi abruptly turned onto her side and wrapped her arms around Daryl, still pretending to be asleep.

"W-Wha?" Daryl was shocked. _What is she doing? _He looked over at Tsugumi and assumed that she was probably just dreaming or something.

Tsugumi waited for him to do something. _I wonder what he's going to do... _

Daryl lied there, unsure of what he should do. _What should I do? I don't want to push her off... _Daryl sighed and wrapped his arm around her. However, unbeknownst to him, Tsugumi's lips curled into a tiny smile. Daryl quickly fell asleep in Tsugumi's arms, and when she was absolutely sure that he was asleep, Tsugumi opened her eyes and softly giggled, "You really are a sweet guy deep down, Daryl..." Tsugumi examined his face as he was asleep. _He looks so... peaceful... _She smiled and unwrapped her arms that were around him. She pulled her arms close to her and rested her hand on his chest. She leaned in and snuggled up against him. Soon after, Tsugumi fell asleep.

* * *

><p>When Daryl woke up, he found himself in a state of panic. He realized that Tsugumi wasn't next to him. Daryl quickly sat up and frantically looked right to left.<p>

"Tsugumi!" Daryl yelled, frantically running down the stairs in panic. When he made it down to the kitchen, he could hear the cracking of oil from the stove. Relieved, he sighed.

Tsugumi turned to see Daryl awake and smiled, "Good morning, sprout!" Tsugumi looked back down at the frying pan, humming one of Inori's EGOIST songs. She quickly finished making breakfast and sat down with Daryl at the kitchen table. When they finished and got dressed, they left for headquarters.

On the way there, Daryl said, "You remember how you liked my uniform so much?"

"Yeah!" Tsugumi exclaimed.

Daryl rubbed the back of his head, slightly nervous, "Well... I've been thinking about getting one for you since you like it so much..."

Much to his surprise, Tsugumi let out a cry of joy and merrily skipped ahead. However, when they finally reached HQ, she nervously asked, "Are you sure it's okay?"

Daryl nodded and passively looked down at her, "Yeah. Sure. Why not?"

Tsugumi was overjoyed again and smiled, "Yay! Thanks, Daryl!"

Daryl sighed, "Whatever! Just don't be so loud!" He hissed, his voice quickly dying down to a whisper, "Everyone's looking at us now..."

"Seriously... Who is that girl? And why is she wearing _cat ears_?"

"I know... And how is she so friendly with the lieutenant?"

One of the employees laughed, "Maybe she's his girlfriend?"

The rest of them laughed, "Yeah right. The lieutenant's girlfriend? You wish. If he did have one though, I'd be scared to meet her."

Another employee briskly walked up to them and scolded them, "Get back to work! And pay more respect to your higher-ups!"

Tsugumi gawked at the scene and nervously motioned for Daryl, who was just as stunned, to walk into the elevator. He slowly walked in, grumbling and cursing under his breath. _My girlfriend? Tsugumi? What would make them think that? WHY DO PEOPLE KEEP THINKING SHE'S MY GIRLFRIEND? Well... Except for that one guy... But his comment was way, way worse! Do they have nothing better to do than gossip all day? _Daryl sighed and heard his phone make a few beeping noises. He flipped on the screen and realized that Segai had texted him.

Daryl sadly looked down at the holographic screen. Tsugumi noticed this and pondered, "What's wrong, Daryl?"

Daryl tried to brush it off and said, "Oh nothing. Just upset that there won't be anything for me to do today. Segai and Rowan will be gone. And..."

"Oh... That's a shame. And... what else were you going to say?"

"Today's also your last day here. I'm to escort you back to Tennouzu High School tomorrow..."

* * *

><p><strong>Please R&amp;R! Sorry for the somewhat long wait! My motivation is slowly coming back! YESSS! Aww. Tsugumi has to go back ): Poor Daryl. All good things must come to an end. But anywayys! 3 promises! Technically 4 if you count Daryl's promise to fulfill them all. Make sure you keep note of all these promises throughout the fic! Haha. Anyways. Like before... Sorry if my quality of writing has dropped. Being unmotivated sucks. But despite not being motivated, I still gotta keep updating this! Haha. I sit there and go, "I will write half a page! OR ELSE! FKSDLJFSDLF." It actually works lol. Anyways! Thanks for reading everyone! EXPECT MORE FLUFFY ROMANTIC DEVELOPMENT OF FEELS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. L-O-L. And some side pairings. BACK TO SCHOOL!<strong>


	9. I Don't Want to Let Go

_I Don't Want to Let Go_

"Today's also your last day here. I'm to escort you back to Tennouzu High School tomorrow..." Daryl said, sadly looking down at Tsugumi.

"E-Eh?"

Daryl quickly shook his head and forced a smile, "Well. Since it's your last day, we should make the best out of it. I'll go get you a uniform. That sound nice?" Daryl asked, slowly making his way into a nearby storage room. Tsugumi slowly nodded, closely trailing behind him.

Daryl rummaged around, trying to find the smallest jacket he could. When he found one, he exclaimed, "Ahah!" He turned towards Tsugumi and thrusted the jacket into her arms, "Try this on."

Tsugumi quickly slipped the white jacket on over her school uniform, her face beaming, "Thanks, Daryl! It's a perfect fit!"

He smiled, "Good to know."

Throughout most of the day, they found themselves teasing each other, Tsugumi winning most of their battles. Tsugumi finally took a seat in front of the large super computer and opened up the cameras placed in Tennouzu High School. She opened up multiple windows at once, each one displaying a different part of the campus. _I want to see them... Aya-Nee and the others. _Tsugumi finally opens one with Ayase in it. She's sitting in a bright bedroom. _Ah! I see that Shu has found the dorm keys. I wonder if I have my own room even though I'm gone... He wouldn't forget about me, right?_ Tsugumi sadly looked at the footage in front of her, footage of the friends she can't be with right now.

Daryl noticed Tsugumi's tense expression, his hand now lightly touching her shoulder, "You must really miss your friends..."

Tsugumi shook her head, slightly smiling, "I miss them, but... I know that I'll see them tomorrow, so don't worry about me!"

Daryl crossed his arms, his face turning slightly red, "I-It's not like I cared about you or anything like that, runt!"

Tsugumi looked at him and laughed at how embarrassed and how hard he was trying to deny it. "You do know that whenever you call me runt, you just make it more obvious."

"Make what obvious?" Daryl pouted, his face growing even redder.

"That you're trying to hide how you really feel." Tsugumi bluntly said, grinning. She rested her elbows on the table, her face pressed against the palm of her hand. Daryl looked away, flustered.

Aside from the beeping from the computers, the room was completely silent. However, a few seconds later, the door flew open. A blonde-haired man with a bulky build charged in and yelled, pointing at Daryl, "Hey, Blondie! Good to see ya again! Hey! Where's Scarface and that glasses guy?"

Daryl abruptly turned around, to see Dan Eagleman in front of him. He blurted out, "Y-YOU'RE ALIVE?"

Dan simply put his hands on his hips and laughed, "A TRUE AMERICAN HERO NEVER DIES!"

Tsugumi awkwardly watched Dan's strange actions, completely weirded out, "O-Okay..."

She nervously turned towards Daryl, whispering in his ear, "Hey, Daryl. Who's this creep?"

He frowned, "This is Dan Eagleman. He's from America." His voice then died down to a whisper that only Tsugumi could hear, "Who's also very obnoxious and annoying."

Dan happily strolled up to Daryl and nudged his arm with a wide grin on his face, "So, Blondie, who's this girl? Your girlfriend?"

Daryl harshly slapped his arm away and yelled in response, "SHE'S NOT MY GIRLFRIEND! NOW GET OUT! SEGAI AND ROWAN AREN'T HERE, SO COME BACK LATER!"

"Sure. I'll come back later." He said before obnoxiously laughing and marching out the door. Daryl sighed, slouching in his seat. Tsugumi noticed how flustered he was and giggled, "It's kind of funny how everyone thinks I'm your girlfriend or something. I wonder why."

Daryl knitted his brows together and sarcastically mumbled, "I wonder why..."

Tsugumi simply laughed and turned back to the computer. Her smile then turned into a frown when she began looking through all the security cameras again. _I wonder if I can pull up that camera again... The one with Gai..._ Tsugumi's hands began to rapidly fly over the keyboard, typing in letter after letter, closing each bit of code with the utmost precision. Daryl sat there absolutely baffled at how fast she was typing.

"What are you trying to do?"

Still focused on the screen, Tsugumi responded, "Remember that security camera I told you about? The one with Gai? I'm looking for it again. Something seems... off." Tsugumi intensely watched the multiple lines of code, making sure that she didn't mess up. When she stopped, a single window popped up. _I found it! _Daryl eyed the screen with disdain, his eyes slightly narrowing, "Tch... Disgusting... The dead should stay dead."

Tsugumi was intently focused on Gai, making notes of his appearance. _That's strange... Didn't he vanish along with Mana? That's what Shu said... If so, how is he back? Plus, his hair is white instead of blonde. _Tsugumi could hear the faint voices of scientists. _They're obviously scheming something... But what? What do they need Gai for? Didn't they want him killed anyways?_

"_It's only a matter of time until it's done... When the time comes, we'll be ready."_

That's when Tsugumi saw her._ Ouma Haruka? What is she doing? _

"_I'm so sorry, Shu..."_

Tsugumi's eyes widened in disbelief. _What is she doing? What is she planning? What? What's going to happen to Shu and the others?_

Daryl sat there disgusted at the scene unfolding before him. _Tch... Those damn scientists are planning something... Tsutsugami Gai, huh?_

"I have a bad feeling about this..."

* * *

><p>Ayase entered her new room. It was plain, but it would have to suffice for now. It was incredibly simple. There was a wooden desk, a chair, a twin-sized bed with plain white sheets, a pillow, one couch, and a small television. Ayase stretched her arm up and flipped on the light switch. Shu followed her in, and Ayase sadly turned around to look at him. "Hey, Shu... Does Tsugumi have a room?"<p>

He nodded, much to her disbelief, "But why? She's not even here..." Ayase choked, a painful lump forming in her throat.

Shu confidently looked down at Ayase, his eyes showing almost no sign of life, "We'll get her back, Ayase. I'll make sure of it." She felt this sharp pain in her chest, her throat growing dry. Her eyes began to slightly water, tears lightly dripping down her face, "Shu! So you!... All this time?..."

He sadly smiled and placed his hand on her shoulder, "She's our friend. We've got to get her back no matter what, so don't worry, Ayase. She'll be back before we know it, so just sit tight, and let me do all the work when the time is right."

Ayase wiped her tears away and looked up at Shu, grinning and lightly blushing, "Well. It's not like I'll be going anywhere anyways!"

* * *

><p>Tsugumi and Daryl had recently returned home, for there was really nothing to do since Segai and Rowan weren't around. Tsugumi deviously looked at Daryl and laughed, "You sure lost your temper back there."<p>

"He was being annoying."

Tsugumi giggled, "Are you sure it's not because he thought I was your girlfriend?"

"N-No!" Daryl stuttered. He furrowed his brows, "What makes you think that?"

She paced a few steps ahead of him, her arms now behind her back. "It's just that... You always get so flustered when someone thinks I'm your girlfriend." Tsugumi stopped in her tracks and twirled around to look at Daryl. "So, Daryl. Tell me the truth. Did it really bother you that much?" She asked, giggling.

"Why should I tell you?"

Tsugumi arched her brow, looking up at Daryl amused, "Because... If you don't, I won't let you get to the door." She bluntly stated, pointing at the steel door behind her with her thumb.

Daryl frowned, "M-Maybe a little bit... Now let me through, runt!"

Pleased, Tsugumi did a quick sidestep and let Daryl through. "Aye, aye! Here you go!"

They walked into his house and went up to the living room as usual, taking a seat on the sofa. Daryl sighed, "All this business about you being my girlfriend is annoying..."

Tsugumi laughed and half-jokingly said, slightly smirking, "Maybe if they say it enough, it'll come true. Haha! What do you think?" Realizing what she had just said, Tsugumi's face grew hot, her face growing redder and redder. "S-Sorry, Daryl... I probably shouldn't said something stupid like that... I tend to say things without thinking sometimes so... I'm sorry..."

Daryl leaned back into the sofa and calmly responded, "I don't think that it was that stupid of a question. People are just probably getting the wrong idea. However, if they're getting that idea from watching us, we're obviously doing something to make them think like that. You know?" He paused for a moment and added, sighed, "Well. I probably just said something really stupid."

Tsugumi turned her head to look at Daryl and quickly shook her head, blushing, "N-No! I think that it actually makes sense in a way. Maybe it's because we're always teasing each other or something. Or maybe it's just because..." Her lips curled into a smile and she continued, "Because you treat me _differently._"

"How do I treat you any different?" Daryl asked, confused as to what she meant.

"You care and worry about me more. Plus, you're a lot nicer towards me... And _gentler_... It's actually a pretty big difference compared to how to treat others, so maybe that's why..."

Daryl lightly blushed at her comment. He looked down, somewhat embarrassed, and slightly mumbled, "Then what am I supposed to do? I treat you that way because I want to." Daryl tried to avoid looking at Tsugumi's eyes, turning his head to the left.

Tsugumi, however, couldn't stop staring at him. It was as if she was in some sort of trance. _I love it when he's so honest... _Tsugumi's brain suddenly switched off. She didn't have a clue as to what she was doing anymore. "You know... You're always so grumpy, so I love it when you're honest like that. It's really cute!"

Daryl's face grew even redder at her compliment. _She loves it when I'm honest? Me? Cute? W-Wait... Why am I getting so happy all of a sudden? What is she trying to do? Am I just over-thinking things? _Tsugumi broke his train of thought when she continued speaking, "But... Is it okay with you if they think I'm your girlfriend? After all, you don't _really_ want them to get the wrong idea. Plus, I have to leave tomorrow... But... You should just do what you want..."

"What I want?..." Daryl said with a questioning tone. Daryl finally turned to look at Tsugumi. "To be honest, I don't really mind..." He found himself gazing into her eyes just like that one time he went undercover. Tsugumi noticed Daryl staring at her, and she gazed back at him. They didn't move. Not once. Daryl slowly leaned in forward, his face getting closer and closer to hers, his voice stuttering, "B-But... But it's not like I... Like I... "

Tsugumi couldn't take her eyes off of Daryl, and he too could not avert his gaze. She was so engrossed in his bright amethyst eyes that she didn't even care how close his face was getting to hers. _Daryl... This is just like that time... That time when he was about to leave and we... We... But this time... This time... I... _

Tsugumi threw her arms around Daryl's neck and pulled him in closer, slowly shutting her eyes. He pressed his lips against hers, pushing her until she was laying down on the sofa. He could feel her soft, wet lips pressed against his, the warmth of her tiny body underneath him, and her soft, silky hair as he ran his hands through it. Their breathing became more erratic. Daryl nibbled on her lower lip, Tsugumi now slowly running her hands through his soft, pale blonde hair and lightly ruffling it. He caressed her face, deepening the kiss. Tsugumi took a deep breath and quickly responded to his kisses. He nibbled on her lower lip while she nibbled his upper lip.

Tsugumi wasn't sure how long their lip-locking session lasted. In fact, she didn't want it to end. She let out a reluctant moan as he lightly bit her lower lip, asking for entrance. "Daryl..."

Daryl took this opportunity to slip his tongue in. Tsugumi couldn't think properly. All she could think about was the alien, yet pleasant feeling of his tongue sliding over hers. He lightly sucked on her upper lip this time, Tsugumi now moving down to his lower lip. Her heart was racing, butterflies fluttering in her stomach. She could hardly move with Daryl's weight pressing her down. She could feel his warm breath down her throat. _No... This isn't like that time... This time... It's different..._

Daryl continued to tease her with his tongue, running his hands through her long, beautiful hair again. He noted how_ sweet _she tasted. _She tastes like... candy... W-Wait... What?_ Daryl's eyes flew open, his mouth slightly agape. He looked down at Tsugumi whose face was incredibly red, her eyes still shut. Tsugumi realized that he had stopped and opened her eyes, shocked as to what had just happened. Daryl slowly got up and her hands moved down from his hair to back around his neck. "D-Daryl?... I... Y-You..."

Tsugumi quickly sat up, Daryl doing the same. They nervously looked away from each other, still madly blushing. _What just happened?..._ Tsugumi could not comprehend why she did what she did. After all, she was the one who pulled him in closer. No matter how hard she thought, her mind kept drifting back to their passionate kiss. The way he tasted, the warmth from his body, his faint scent of lavender, and just how plain _passionate_ their kiss was. After all, it was the first kiss they had ever shared. _I wanted to change him, but not like this! I can't believe I! I... _Tsugumi felt her chest swell up and a painful lump form in her throat. _What is this feeling? _

Little did she know that Daryl was feeling the exact same way.

Daryl lightly brushed over his lips with his hands, confused. _I just... We just kissed... Why did I? But... _Daryl nervously looked over at Tsugumi, unable to come up with anything to say.

* * *

><p>They couldn't talk to each other for the rest of the day. They went straight to bed, completely skipping dinner. When they went to sleep, they slept with their backs turned to each other. When they awoke, no one bothered making breakfast. Daryl finally mustered up the courage to say something, "So... Um... You're leaving today..."<p>

Tsugumi sadly nodded and nervously responded, quickly sneaking a glance at Daryl before looking away, "U-Uh... yeah."

They left the house in silence. Tsugumi spent most of her time walking in deep thought. _What am I to him? What is this feeling? This feeling... Butterflies in my stomach. It feels like someone has stabbed my heart. This painful lump in my throat. This painful choking sensation. What is it? Why do I feel this way around him? I mean... Yeah! He kissed me, but... This feeling... Could it be that I? All this time I? _

She had finally realized it. The emotion she had been feeling all this time. _That's right... It all makes sense now... I guess I..._

_I guess I fell in love with him._

_I fell in love with Daryl Yan._

Tsugumi looked up in shock and realized that they were about to reach the school soon. She sprinted until she was right next to Daryl and blurted out, "Daryl!" Just as she had hoped, he was shocked and turned his attention towards her. He looked down at her, surprised, "W-What?"

She nervously looked up at him, slightly blushing, "Well... Where do I start? Um... I know that last night was kind of, well, shocking, I guess, but I just wanted to say..." Tsugumi paused and leaped in front of him, "Thank you, Daryl!" She exclaimed, her face beaming.

Daryl opened his mouth, but no words came out. He couldn't bring himself to say anything. There were so many thoughts racing through his mind. He was in a state of confusion. He was dumbfounded beyond belief. However, Tsugumi noticed this and didn't expect anything more from him. She got on her tip-toes and gently whispered, "Your reward."

She lightly pecked him on the cheek, her lips curling into a tiny smile, her face even redder now. Daryl's eyes widened, and he lightly touched where she had just kissed him. Daryl slightly blushed and looked down at Tsugumi whose face was beaming again. He nervously rubbed the back of his head, "I guess I should thank you too, so uh... Thanks." Daryl looked ahead and pointed, "Hey! Look. We're almost there."

Tsugumi looked forward and dismally looked down at the ground, stopping in her tracks.

"What's wrong, Tsugumi?"

She gazed up at his bright amethyst eyes and sullenly spoke, clutching the cuff of his sleeve, "Daryl... Promise me that we'll see each other again."

Daryl smiled and grabbed her hand, wrapping his pinky around hers.

"I promise."

Tsugumi smiled and they both turned to look directly at the school. Daryl held his hand out, his head turned the opposite direction to hide the massive blush on his face. "Well?"

Tsugumi nervously looked down at his hand but quickly shook it off. She nodded, "Mm!"

She accepted his offer, and they walked to the entrance of the school hand-in-hand, smiling.

_His hand which mine fits perfectly in..._

_I never want to let go..._

* * *

><p><strong>Whew! Sorry for the long wait! This was such a busy week! I was so unmotivated when I first started writing this chapter too, but that quickly went away when I got into it. D'aaaww! They're so cute! Tsugumi finally realizes that she loves him. Geez. And it took a hot make-out session for her to figure it out. Wowww. Anyways... WHO'S HAPPY THAT THEY FINALLY KISSED? I KNOW I AM! AND I'M THE WRITER! LOL! Anyways. Thanks for sticking with this fic for so long, guys! I really appreciate it! Please R&amp;R~ Tsugumi is now back at school... Which means... More undercover missions? Maybe. Maybe not. Some conflict from the canon story shall unfold! DUNDUNDUN. And. DAN EAGLEMAN! GUTS!<strong>


	10. By My Side

_By My Side_

Daryl and Tsugumi walked up to the entrance of Tennouzu High, hand-in-hand. She lightly squeezed his hand, not wanting to ever let go. Daryl looked down at her, realizing her hesitation, squeezing her hand back.

"On the count of three?" He held his breath, not wanting to let go as well.

Tsugumi sadly looked up at Daryl, but her frown turned into a happy smile, realizing that Daryl felt the same way, "On the count of three." She nodded.

They counted to three, never once looking away from each other. When she let go, Daryl quickly pulled her into a brief hug. Tsugumi lightly shut her eyes, taking in his scent, his warmth. Daryl released her and softly whispered, "See you soon?"

Tsugumi gazed into Daryl's bright, purple eyes and giggled, "Yeah. See you soon."

Daryl sadly watched Tsugumi's figure fade away into the distance, her dark, violet tresses flowing in the wind. He waved good-bye and turned around to return to headquarters. _I think I'm going to actually miss her a lot..._

All of his life, Daryl tried his best to win his father's approval. A gesture of affection. Even one would have been sufficient. However, no matter how hard he tried, how strong he got, how high his rank was, he got nothing. _Nothing_. Then, out of the blue, he was ordered to kill him. His very existence for living. He had to kill his father, the father he had tried to win the affection of for far too long. Daryl couldn't remember how long he had tried. To be honest, he couldn't really remember much after the incident. Then it happened.

He was on an infiltration mission to locate the Funeral Parlor members who had supposedly fled to Tennouzu High School. Apparently, they were taking refuge there, pretending to be students. However, on that very same day, he bumped into a cat-eared girl who randomly forced three boxes of costumes and accessories into his arms. He was upset at how she was treating him. After all, no one treated Daryl that way. However, there was something different about her. Yes. She was... _strange._ After all, she wore cat-ears. However, it was the way she treated him. He even rewarded him. _Rewarded_ him. It was something he had wanted his father to do, but he never did. When she gave him that candy apple, he didn't really know what to do. Daryl was confused.

He was happy.

After she tried to shove the candy down his throat, she left him alone, and he reported his findings to Segai. He gave in and reluctantly tried it.

It was sweet.

Then after many days, he finally met her again, and from there on out, his emotions just kept spiraling out of control. Daryl couldn't control himself anymore. He found himself growing unusually attached to this strange girl. Then, fairly recently, he finally kissed her. She was someone precious to him. He understood that, but he didn't understand anything else anymore. Yes. She was important to him. She was precious to him. She mattered to him. She was his friend.

But that's all he thought she ever was to him. She was an important, precious friend. So why? Why did he kiss her?

Why did he feel so sad when he let go of her hand? When he let go, it felt like he was giving away part of his heart.

Daryl slowly made his way back to headquarters, slightly disoriented from musing the whole way.

_I kissed her... She kissed me on the cheek just now... I hugged her... There's something wrong with me... But what? _

He continued to drag his feet along the ground still, much to his frustration, unable to understand his own emotions. Perhaps he was acting like a soldier for far too long.

Maybe it was time for a change.

* * *

><p>Tsugumi hesitantly approached her friends and finally threw herself into Ayase's arms, "I missed you all so much!"<p>

Ayase smiled and looked up at Tsugumi, relieved, "I'm so glad that you're not hurt! I thought they'd hurt you or something!"

Tsugumi looked from Ayase, to Kanon, to Yahiro, to... Arugo? Her mouth was slightly agape, "A-Arugo? Is that really you? What are you doing here?"

Arugo's face tensed.

"And where's Shu, Inori, and Arisa?"

Arugo finally answered, "Arisa is locking herself up in her room. She was recently attacked."

Tsugumi gasped, "By who?"

He uncomfortably looked around, "I-Inori... And Shu has been locking himself up with her in this weird room. Plus... his tyrannical behavior has been getting worse and worse! If this continues–!"

"Arugo!" Ayase snapped, "You can't just go and make assumptions like that! I-I'm pretty sure Shu has his reasons... Right, everyone?" Ayase nervously looked around, hoping for at least one smile of approval, of reassurance. Instead, it was frowns all around.

Tsugumi tried to change the subject and asked, "So... Anything new?... That's _not_ depressing?"

Ayase's face brightened, "Ah! Shu found more keys to the dorm rooms, so you have your own room!" She slowly made her way to the dormitories and glanced back at Tsugumi, waving, "Common, Tsugumi! I'll show you!"

"Aye, aye, Aya-nee!" She smiled, skipping up to the wheel-chair bound girl. When they reached her room, Ayase looked up at Tsugumi and grinned, gently placing a key in her hand, "Here you go. Shu let us all have a room to ourselves. Now we can actually sleep in a bed! Aren't you glad?"

"Mm!" Tsugumi nodded. "Thanks, Aya-nee!"

Tsugumi slowly unlocked the door and walked in. _It looks just like Aya-nee's. _She shut the door behind her and jumped onto the soft bed. _I guess I should get some rest... _Tsugumi laid down and turned onto her side. Unconsciously, she began to feel around the empty area beside her. She sadly stared at the wall and the empty space next to her.

"Daryl..."

It was strange. A while back, she would've wanted to practically blow his brains out. However, now it was the complete opposite. She _loved _him, and to have to let go of his hand, knowing that there was a chance they would never see each other again, it broke her heart.

And it didn't help that they kissed the other day.

Not at all.

Ayase was half-way down the hallway when she realized that she forgot something. She made an abrupt stop and turned back to Tsugumi's room. She forgot that she had to talk to her about something! _Crap! I got distracted! I hope she's not asleep or anything yet! _Ayase found herself directly in front of her door. Right when she was about to knock she heard Tsugumi's faint voice through the door.

"_What should I do? All this time, I was so focused on... On changing him... I didn't plan for things to go this way... And... we kissed the other day! What am I supposed to do?..."_

Ayase's eyes narrowed. _She kissed who? She wanted to change who? Wait what? But... But she was being held captive at the GHQ this whole time! What is this supposed to mean? Could it be?... That blonde guy?... _Ayase stretched her arm out and turned the door knob, barging into her room without permission. Tsugumi, alarmed, quickly flipped herself over and saw Ayase come in the room.

_Did she hear me?_

"What do you mean by 'we kissed the other day'?" Ayase interrogated Tsugumi, her arms crossed, brows furrowed. Tsugumi couldn't bring herself to answer her question. _C-Crap... Aya-nee heard me... _Ayase stared Tsugumi in the eye and asked, "Is it that blonde guy you wouldn't tell me anything about? Hm?"

"W-Well... U-Um..."

"He's a spy, isn't he? He's from the GHQ, right? That's probably why you weren't harmed or anything. So tell me, Tsugumi... All this time while we were worried about you, you spent your time kissing up to our _enemy_?" Ayase harshly accused.

"Aya-nee! How could you say that?" Tsugumi finally blurted out, hurt by her sudden accusations. _It's not like her to be like this! _

Ayase sadly looked down and sighed, "Look... I'm just worried about you... What if he's just _using_ you? How do you know that you can trust him?"

_How do I know that I can trust him? What if he's using me? Why is Aya-nee being so mean right now?... _Tsugumi refuted, "How do you know that you can still have faith in Shu?"

This left Ayase somewhat shocked, her mouth hanging wide open. "I-I... I just know I can! It's just that... When he's all locked up, and whenever I go to check on him, he always seems so sad and hurt. It's like he hates what he's doing, but he feels a need to be like this. He feels like by being a cruel tyrant, he can, ultimately, help everyone else in return. After all, to him, it was his kindness that caused Hare's death..."

"Well, it's the same for me! Think about it, Aya-nee... If you saw a side of a person that no one else sees, you would probably end up falling in love with them too... If you think about it like that, I'm the same as you, right?"

Ayase looked conflicted. Her countenance kept changing over and over again. It changed from doubt, to sadness, to bittersweet joy. Finally, her brows knitted together once more, "I understand what you're trying to say, Tsugumi, but what if he's just acting? If he's a spy, then he must be good at keeping calm, acting, that kind of stuff! Just think about it for a moment!"

Tsugumi couldn't take it anymore. She loved Aya-nee. She was the closest thing she had to family, but she couldn't hold it in any longer. She couldn't stand her accusations any longer. _Daryl is not that kind of person..._

"I love Daryl for who he is, and you can't change my mind! No one can!" She yelled, tears welling up in her eyes. "You don't know him! No one understands how he really feels! No one knows what it was like for him!... He's hurt!"

"Daryl?... As in... Daryl Yan?" Ayase asked with a bewildered expression on her face.

Tsugumi nodded, "Mmhm... Kill 'Em All Daryl."

"WHAT? B-B-B-BUT! HE... He's a murderer! He tried to kill us like five million times!"

"I know..." Tsugumi solemnly responded. She slowly sat up, her dark hair draping over her shoulders. "I know that... I know that very well... But!–"

"He's rich too, right?" Ayase suddenly asked, leaving Tsugumi somewhat confused.

"Well... Yeah! But what does that have to do with anything?"

"What if he has like... Oh I don't know... Other girlfriends..."

"You do know that he's mysophobic, right?" Tsugumi giggled.

"Eh?" Ayase looked at Tsugumi, puzzled. _Daryl Yan? Mysophobic? What?_

"Yeah! He's mysophobic." She bluntly said again, running her hands through her long hair, untangling it. She smiled, "He's totally harmless in person."

Ayase's eyes slightly widened, "So... What about his violent behavior when he's piloting an endlave?"

Tsugumi's eye shifted to the left, thinking, "I guess that maybe he's just following orders. His mind was pretty messed up a while back though. He went through a lot. Family problems and stuff. The thing is though... He doesn't really attack without reason. He'll only kill when provoked."

"I see..." Ayase pouted, accepting defeat, "Fine! I accept defeat! You do what you want, but one warning: If he ever hurts you in any way possible, I will tear him apart _limb by limb_."

Tsugumi's grin grew wider, "Okay, Aya-nee! I'll make sure to convey your message to him one day!" She slyly gazed at her, "So... About you and Shu..."

"D-Don't talk about that!"

And she exited the room as fast as possible, her face now flushed, leaving an amused Tsugumi, evilly snickering.

Tsugumi got up and ran after Ayase, "Hey! Aya-nee!"

"What's wrong?"

She slowed down and waited for Tsugumi to catch up. Tsugumi slightly tilted her head and asked, "Does Shu know that I'm back?"

"E-Eh! Come to think about it... No... No he doesn't."

Tsugumi deviously smiled, "Want to go take me to him?" She winked, causing the auburn-haired girl's face to turn red.

"S-Sure... Why not... Common, Tsugumi." Ayase shyly said, slightly pursing her lips. "And stop teasing me! It's embarrassing!"

"Nyahaha! Okay, okay, Aya-nee. I'll stop." She laughed.

"Thank you!"

"For today." Tsugumi giggled.

"Tsugumi!"

* * *

><p>Daryl reported to headquarters but returned home shortly after. Rowan didn't bother saying anything since he figured that he had a pretty decent idea of how Daryl was feeling. When he returned home, he was greeted by silence. Sheer silence. He walked up to his bedroom and found the uniform he got for Tsugumi on a chair. He picked it up and hung it up in his closet. Why? He didn't really know for sure. Perhaps it was for just in case she did ever come back to his home.<p>

_She really liked it a lot... So why not, I guess..._

Daryl instinctively walked over to a table and put on the glasses he would normally wear on infiltration missions.

_She liked it when I wore glasses if I remember correctly..._

He went down to the kitchen and purposely drank some juice, so he could wash the dishes like he would normally do after they ate. Daryl distinctively remembered. Regardless of who cooked, he would always clean, ironically. It was hard to believe that he didn't like germs sometimes.

_She would always go do her own thing while I washed the dishes... I never really minded..._

He didn't know what came over him. Without Tsugumi around, he still felt the urge to continue living the way he did when she was with him. It was as if there was a strange disease taking over his body. He would do all these strange things without thinking over the course of the day. When the sun had finally set, he sat on his bed all alone. He pulled the blankets over him and laid there wide awake.

He tried to remember every moment they spent together.

_What if it was all just a dream?_

He closed his eyes and got lost in happier days, remembering her smile, the way her hair flowed in the wind, everything.

When he opened his eyes and looked to his right, it was empty. She wasn't there. He closed his eyes once, well aware of what was happening.

Daryl knew that when he woke up, she still wouldn't be there. The sweet aroma of breakfast wouldn't be in the air. Her candy-apple-sweet voice wouldn't be there to greet him.

He would be all alone. He knew that, and to his surprise, it hurt. However, he held on to a silly promise.

Surely, they would see each other soon.

"_See you soon?"_

"_Yeah. See you soon."_

After all, he did promise her that they would meet again. Holding on to a simple promise, he drifted away. He drifted into a land of escape.

After all, there were other ways they could meet again.

Much to his dismay, he dreamed about her _all night long_, and it didn't help at all.

Not one bit.

* * *

><p>Whew! Sorry for the long wait! Yeah... My writing style kind of changed half-way through the chapter; I don't know if any of you noticed but... Oh well! This past week has been extremely time consuming! But this week is just a huge waste of my time. Since I'm a freshman, I don't have to take a state assessment, which means 4 whole days of nothing. Which means more time to write! Yes! This chapter is a bit short, but I finally got it done! Whew! DRAMA! D'aawww. Daryl is so CUTE. God. WRY U SO KYUTE? He misses her so much that he's going kind of crazy. Haha. "She's going to be the end of me..." How many times has he said this throughout this story? Haha. She's going to drive him insane. By not being there.<p>

D'aaww. Tsugumi loves him so much. And about Tsugumi and Ayase's relationship. Sorry if it seems a bit strained here. I don't mean to antagonize her or anything. I always imagined her as a somewhat mother-like person. They're like sisters, but iunno. I always imagined Ayase to be like a motherly figure in a way, always watching out for her (but in reality, it's the other way around. Tsugumi watches over everyone, haha. Literally). Iunno. Whatever. But Ayase will have a bigger role in Daryl and Tsugumi's relationship later on ;)  
>The story is not close to being over yet! Okay I lied. I don't know how long this is gonna be. But I do know it's going to cover the end of the anime.<p>

Thanks for reading!


	11. Coup d'état

_Coup d'état_

Daryl's vision was blurred. The only thing that he could see was the ground soaked with blood. He staggered forward and kneeled down next to a very familiar girl.

Her beautiful hair, dark as midnight, was scattered all over the concrete ground, her clothes soaked in her own crimson blood. Daryl's eyes widened in fear, afraid that he was going to lose her. She slowly blinked her eyes and turned her head to look at him. She smiled, tears slowly falling down her face. Her mouth moved, but he couldn't hear anything. Finally, her mouth stopped moving, and her eyes turned into a dull shade of purple

She was a lifeless doll.

A beautiful, innocent, and kind lifeless doll.

She was dead.

And it was all his fault.

* * *

><p>Panting, Daryl sat up in fear. He could feel a bead of sweat roll down the side of his face.<p>

"I-It was just a dream?"

He wiped his forehead and slowly slid out of bed. Daryl opened his closet and scanned the hangers for his uniform. His eyes stopped on Tsugumi's uniform, and he sighed. Glancing to the right, he finally found his and snatched the hanger off. After Daryl got dressed, he strolled over to the bathroom and neatly fixed his perfect, pale-blonde hair.

Tsugumi wasn't with him anymore, and he had to face the truth. He had to get a grip over his emotions. _Even though I'm upset that she's not here anymore, I have to move on and do my part as a soldier. I have to keep these troublesome emotions under control... At least until I see her again..._

But sometimes he wondered if there was more to his life than following orders.

Sometimes he wondered if he was more than a mere tool.

Sometimes he wondered if he even had a say in his life.

And every single time he asked himself these questions, he could never find an answer.

Not once.

* * *

><p>Tsugumi strolled next to Ayase and walked into an underground chamber. Climbing down the stares, Tsugumi could see Shu sitting all alone. <em>Where's Inoreen?<em> She watched as Ayase took the ramp and rolled down to Shu.

Smiling, she called to Shu, "Shu! You were right! Tsugumi would be back before I knew it! See? She's right here!" She joyously cheered, pointing at the cat-eared girl behind her. Tsugumi slowly approached Shu and smiled.

Shu turned to face Tsugumi and smiled, "You're not injured, right?"

Tsugumi slowly shook her head, "Mm. Nope. They didn't do anything to me."

"Eh?" Ayase blurted out. "But didn't they take you in as a prisoner or something?"

"Nope! They were actually _really_ nice to me. Turns out, not everyone in the GHQ is _that_ bad. Like this one guy named Andrei Rowan. He's perfectly harmless. Couldn't hurt a fly. He's really nice too. Segai is kind of creepy, but he's really not on anyone's side. He just does what he wants. He's kind of scary in his own way though."

Shu looked down and slowly said, "Yeah... I know what you mean– About Segai and stuff. Moving on... You didn't provide them with any vital information, right?"

"Aye! What they wanted from me was not related to us at all."

Shu sadly sighed in relief. Tsugumi continued and finally asked, "Hey, Shu? Where's Inoreen?"

His eyes flashed open in an instant. Furrowing his eyebrows, he demanded, "Get. Out."

"Shu! What's wrong?" Ayase pleaded him to respond, but he harshly ignored her.

"GET OUT!" He yelled in rage. He quickly turned around and waited for them to leave.

"Tch..." Tsugumi tried to push Ayase out, but she wouldn't let her. She swiftly swerved her wheelchair and made Tsugumi leap back in defense. Ayase rolled up to Shu, making him turn around. When he finally turned around, Ayase firmly slapped him across the cheek, leaving a red mark. She glared at him and hissed, "You're an idiot, you know?" She spun around and Tsugumi firmly held onto her wheelchair, pushing her up the ramp. "Let's go, Tsugumi... We should leave this _ungrateful _moron alone for now..." She harshly said, making sure that Shu would hear every single last word. Before they left, Ayase sadly glanced at Shu and mumbled, "You idiot..."

_Or maybe I'm the idiot for falling for him..._

* * *

><p>Arugo lightly knocked on the door and let himself in. "Arisa Kuhouin."<p>

Arisa turned her head to look at Arugo, her body wrapped in a thin blanket, "What do you want?"

He bluntly responded by asking, "Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

She slightly smiled, tilting her head to the side, her blonde tresses loosely cascading over her blanket, "Yes. I will do everything in my power to make this a reality. I will meet _him_ again..."

"Who's _him_?"

"None of your concern. Now please leave if you have nothing else to say."

Arugo quickly left the room, "There's nothing we can do, huh? I don't like this idea, but I guess it was bound to happen... It was _your_ fault for acting the way you did..."

_Should've listened to me, Shu..._

* * *

><p>And he casually walked down the hall, preparing for what was about to happen within a matter of days.<p>

Tsugumi and Ayase parted ways and she walked back to her room. She turned on her phone and opened up a holographic window. It was a huge map of Tokyo with a single blinking red dot. _Something's going on, and I will find out... According to this, Funell should be around here somewhere..._ She lightly tapped on the blinking dot and pressed a "call" button. Within a few seconds, Funell rolled into her room and playfully circled her, its ears happily flapping.

Tsugumi bent down and grinned, "I missed you, Funell! Now... I have some stuff I need to look up, okay?"

She picked up Funell and pressed a hidden button. A white rod shot out and multiple holographic screens appeared. Tsugumi began to rapidly type in certain codes. She flipped open her cell phone and pressed another button on Funell. A wire attached itself onto the thin phone. Tsugumi began to transfer the text messages from all the students' phones onto hers. When she was done, she pressed the two buttons again, and Funell returned to normal. She gently patted the adorable robot on the head, "Thanks, Funell! Good job! You're free to do whatever now!"

Funell whizzed out of the room with a small smile on its face.

Tsugumi sat on her bed and went through every last message. She felt uneasy, and a bead of sweat dripped down her right cheek. She knitted her brows together when she realized what she was reading. She blankly stared at the screen, her mouth slightly open upon realizing what was really going on.

"Coup d'état..."

Tsugumi glared down at the screen, frustrated. _This isn't good... There's nothing I can do! The plan has already spread too much to be stopped, but what if Aya-nee finds out? That can't be good..._

She switched the phone off and went to sleep, bothered by the bad news she had just learned of.

_This isn't right... We shouldn't be fighting each other..._

* * *

><p>A few days passed, and Shu finally announced that he would get everyone out of Loop 7. Tsugumi made announcements over the intercom to keep things in order. She turned around to look at Ayase who was grinning.<p>

"Tsugumi! Can you believe it? After all this time, we can finally escape!"

"Y-Yeah..." Tsugumi turned back around to find that everyone was prepared. She sadly looked at the security cameras, dreading what was about to happen. _I am so sorry, Shu..._

The students swiftly loaded the trucks, and Shu drew out all of their voids. Everyone lined up, prepared to fight with Shu reigning over them. Shu stood up on the podium and delivered a brief speech, "Today, we will finally escape from Loop 7 and get past the wall! There should be endlaves, Ghost Units, ready to attack, but don't worry! If I can reach Tokyo Tower, I can shut down whatever is controlling them. So everyone... CHARGE!"

They marched forward when endlaves suddenly appeared out of thin air. They charged at the students, mercilessly firing. Shu fearfully watched as they struggled and lost, their bodies turning into crystal and shattering into nothingness. Their screams of terror kept echoing in his ears. His face twisted into one of utter horror and fear. _Did... Did I just use them all as glorified... decoys? _He quickly shook his head and cleared his mind. _No... I must fight... I can't just stand here and do nothing! Because if I fail, everyone will... _

Shu turned to Inori, and she nodded, understanding that it was time to lend him her power. He reached his hand out to her chest and drew out her void.

He charged towards the robots, leaping into the air and slashing downward at an angle. He cut through the robots with the greatest of ease. Preparing his blade, he made a large horizontal slash, sending out a deadly wave, cutting through multiple endlaves at once. Shu turned the blade slightly and soared towards another endlave, thrusting the long blade straight through it. The students could only watch in awe as all the endlaves simultaneously exploded into massive balls of fire. Shu sprinted towards Tokyo Tower, preparing to make a giant leap. He looked up and soared through the air, a magical, glowing blue circle appearing underneath his feet, thrusting him upwards.

He kept leaping until he reached the middle of the tower, and he whacked it as hard as he could. Tokyo Tower's foundation was crumbling, and all the steel was falling apart. Shu jumped off, avoiding all the debris and falling steel. All of a sudden, all the Ghost Units simultaneously shut down. Shu firmly landed on the ground and returned Inori's void. Everyone's voids disintegrated once they dropped them. Shu smiled and waved, "Come on, everyone! Let's get out of this place!"

_I hope I can make up for my sins with this at least..._ Shu turned around when he heard multiple students load guns. He could hear the clicks they made when they finally placed their finger on the trigger. Gasping, his eyes widened in disbelief, "W-What are you all doing?"

Just then, Arisa calmly strutted behind them, "Sorry, Shu, but it was for the best." She coyly said, backing up as if she were waiting for something to happen, casually crossing her arms, slightly flipping her hair. She was still wielding her void as well.

_A-Arisa? What? _

They began to corner Shu, causing him to cautiously back up. He almost lost footing when he looked down and realized that he was about to fall down into a large crater in the ground. He swiftly turned around, almost tripping himself and backed up away from it. That's when he felt someone shove him from behind. Shu plummeted downward, falling headfirst into the rough dirt, slightly dirtying and bruising his right cheek. He slowly tried to get up, his arms shaking from the unexpected impact. He looked up to see his friend, Souta, slightly trembling and disoriented. His face had a twisted, horrified expression.

"I-I-It's not my fault..." He mumbled, his voice shaking. "I haven't done anything wrong..."

And Shu finally blacked out, suddenly feeling incredibly exhausted, and some of the students ran for it. They ran as fast as they could. They had finally escaped Loop 7. However, most of the students remained, shocked as to what they had just done. They had betrayed their leader, the very person who had made this escape possible.

Shu slowly opened his eyes, regaining consciousness. His feet felt numb, but he forced himself up. However, when he got up, his eyes flashed open in shock. Before him was a tall, pale man with flowing, white luscious hair. He donned an all white outfit, and his hair covered his right eye. Shu opened his mouth, but he couldn't manage to say anything other than the name of his former, fallen comrade.

"Tsutsugami Gai..."

In that very moment, Shu could hear Inori frantically running towards him, sliding down into the crater. "Shu!... Shu!"

However, before she reached him, Gai held his hand out in front of him and shot out a bright orange beam which formed a triangle, knocking her void out half-way, leaving her immobile. Inori collapsed to the ground, unable to move, unable to feel anything. She could only watch as Shu stood there motionless.

* * *

><p>Ayase and Tsugumi were sitting in the control room while everything happened. Ayase could only watch in fear, scared of what would happen to Shu. She wanted to do something. However, Tsugumi held her back, saying that there was nothing they could do to help him, but that's when <em>he <em>showed up. _Gai!_ They raced out of the truck and ran up to Gai.

However, before they reached the crater, Gai finally completely drew Inori's void, and while Shu stood there motionless, in a split second, he sliced his arm off, causing Shu to scream in pain while blood gushed out from his arm, leaving a huge puddle on the ground. Shu fell to his knees, unable to take the overwhelming pain of having his arm decapitated.

"M-MY KING'S POWER!"

_"King_? Have you forgotten? _You were just an usurper_. The __king __has always been me."

Ayase was overjoyed as she moved closer to him to get a clear look at his face. She completely ignored the fact that Shu's arm had just been decapitated and was on the ground writhing in pain.

"Is it really you, Gai? But how? I thought you... You..."

"But how?" Tsugumi asked in disbelief and slight pain in her voice. "What is the meaning of this?"

"I am not the same Gai you knew before."

That's when multiple endlaves appeared out of no where, surrounding them.

"You have two options: Join me or _die_."

Tsugumi glared at their former leader. _I knew something was up when I saw that security camera..._

* * *

><p>Daryl Yan was absolutely frozen in shock when he heard his orders.<p>

"_Protect Tsutsugami Gai!"_

He spat through his mic at Rowan, "What is the meaning of this?"

_"I don't know, Daryl, but just... Please! Follow orders!"_

"You've got to be shitting me..."

Daryl then switched his attention to a small girl with gorgeous dark blue hair. _She looks...famili-_ That's when he saw her signature cat-headband. _Tsugumi? _Soon after, he heard a voice boom from an endlave a few meters in front of him.

"Don't get close to Sir Gai!"

_You... bastard! If she gets hurt, I'll make sure that you won't be able to pilot an endlave ever again! _Daryl was _infuriated_ that anyone would even think about pointing a gun at her, and he would rather die than protect Gai. _Why should I protect someone like you? Protect Tsutsugami Gai? Hah! What a joke!_ He prepared to cut through the masses of endlaves lined up, so he could prevent Tsugumi's terrible fate. _If she doesn't get out of here without a single scratch, I'll never forgive myself... _The thought of her being dead _terrified_ him. It reminded him of the dream he had a few nights ago. What would he do if she were dead? What would he have left to live for?

Daryl cut through the endlaves in front of him by dropping down low and sliding straight past them with ease. He quickly got back up and swiftly turned around, the robotic legs making multiple clanking noises. He firmly grabbed the endlave that had its gun pointed at Tsugumi by the shoulder and held him there.

"You're in the way, _runt_."

That's when Tsugumi realized who it was. She escaped with Ayase while Gai watched, unfazed.

"What are you doing? Hurry up! Let's go!" Tsugumi heard Arugo holler from a distance. They hastily made their way to the van, completely forgetting about Inori and Shu.

Daryl shoved the endlave he was holding and shot multiple rounds in a complete circle. All the bullets ricocheted off of the robots and scattered into multiple directions, almost hitting students. Most of the students escaped, screaming for their lives. When the coast was finally cleared, Daryl charged at Gai, raising his endlave's right arm. He blinded by rage. Blinded by fury. He didn't consider the consequences at all.

"Tsutsugami Gai!" He yelled. "If it weren't for you... It's because of you all of this happened!"

He relentlessly charged at him, yelling. _If you never existed, I would've never had to kill my own father!_

That's when all the endlaves readied their guns and pointed them all at Daryl and fired at once. Daryl could hear the faint sound of Rowan's voice.

"_Hurry! Bail out! Now!"_

Daryl could feel a sharp pain resonate throughout his whole body, causing him to scream in pain before fainting.

_You've got to be fucking kidding me..._

* * *

><p>Tsugumi halted in front of the van's entrance to turn around and get one last glimpse at the scene.<p>

"Just now!... That was..."

Tsugumi felt someone tightly grip her arm. She looked up to see Arugo trying to pull her into the van. "Come on, Tsugumi! Now's not the time to be spacing out! Let's! Go! This is serious! I have to everyone out of here now!"

Tsugumi hesitantly nodded and followed him in, hearing the door slide shut behind her, "Mm!"

_Daryl..._

* * *

><p>When Daryl woke up, he felt a strange breeze around his legs. <em>Why is it so... cold?<em> He slowly got up and looked down. _Where the fuck are my pants? _He looked at his sleeve and realized what was going on. His eyes widened when he realized the situation he was in. _A prisoner uniform? _

He scowled, "You've got to be fucking kidding me."

He heard someone chuckle in the cell next to his. He looked over to see a man with strange glasses and oddly shaped scars on the left side of his face. His hair was a shiny silver. _Why does he get pants? Wait. That's the least of my problems!_

"What are you laughing at, four-eyes?"

"Sorry, sorry. That's quite the predicament you're in though. Ah. Sorry. I forgot to introduce myself. I am Shibungi, staff officer and chief adviser of Funeral Parlor."

Daryl passively looked at Shibungi, unaware of what he was trying to do. "I'm Dar–"

He chuckled again, "I already know who are, Daryl Yan. Second Lieutenant. About the situation at hand... You're in a rough position right now aren't you. You've been stripped of your rank and demoted to a mere prisoner. Not to mention, you are charged with treason and insubordination."

Daryl's eyes widened. He clutched his head in frustration and fell back onto his bed and groaned, "You've got to be kidding me!" He quickly jolted up and came to another revelation. Daryl sat there in silence for a long while. Shibungi patiently waited for his reaction. He expected it to be along the lines of: "Oh shit! I have to get out of here!" However, he heard something _completely_ unexpected.

"Tsugumi's going to be fucking pissed at me! I'm a _prisoner_. A pri-son-er!"

Shibungi glanced at him somewhat shocked, "Did you just say Tsugumi?"

Daryl nodded, and he continued, "How is she doing, and I believe that she should be the least of your problems right now."

"Well. She's always cheerful and positive."

Shibungi smiled upon hearing this. "I'm glad. I expected this to have some more impact on her, but I guess not. I'm relieved, but I must thank you, Daryl, for protecting them."

"They got out safely?"

Shibungi nodded, and Daryl sighed in relief. "So she's okay, huh? I remember you saying that she's the least of my problems right now. What else is there to worry about other than my charges?"

The silver-haired man simply pointed at two men walking through the entrance of the room.

"Them. They're probably going to interrogate you, and it won't be pleasant. As expected."

Daryl felt his body begin to lightly sweat. _They're obviously here to beat some answers out of me... I can't tell them anything about Tsugumi... This is just not my day..._

He held his breath and waited for them to unlock his cell.

"Daryl Yan, I have a few questions to ask you."

Daryl looked at the man unlocking his cell door. He was a somewhat bulky man with a scruffy beard. To his left was Dan Eagleman.

_Dan! Yes! Score! YES! _Daryl shot a desperate look at Dan and mouthed the words, "Help. Me."

He simply gave him a thumbs up and a not-so-reassuring smile.

_Never mind. I'm fucking screwed._

* * *

><p>Tsugumi, Arugo, and Ayase escaped to the new building they were using as headquarters. Tsugumi dragged herself to her new room and plopped herself onto the bed, depressed. However, her mood quickly changed to one of anger. She sat up on her knees and repeatedly punched her pillow.<p>

"You. Idiot! Why did you have to protect me!" Tsugumi's eyes blurred as they welled up with tears. She felt her chest and throat tighten.

Her voice choked as she watched her tears seep into her pillow, "Daryl... You _idiot_..." She cried harder and harder, unable to control her emotions. It eventually turned into gross sobbing. Then silence. It was hard for Tsugumi to accept the fact that it was her fault that Daryl was probably going to suffer. He was going to suffer because of her. The love of her life was going to be miserable because of her.

"You haven't promised to protect me yet..."

_Maybe I'm just being selfish, _Tsugumi thought while she slowly sat up and wiped away her tears. _Maybe this really is all my fault. _She slid off the bed and slowly walked out into the hall. _Maybe this is my chance to save him. _She traveled down the corridor and into the main room to rejoin her fellow comrades.

"I'm going to save you, Daryl. Whether you like it or not."

She looked up to see Ayase, Arugo, and Oogumo smiling at her.

Ayase asked, worried, "Are you okay, Tsugumi? I heard you crying..."

"I'm fine, Aya-nee."

Arugo smirked, "Good to see that you're back to your normal self. Anyways, is there something else that's wrong? You seem oddly... determined?"

Tsugumi walked up to the table with a confident look on her face. She glanced at her friends with a smug look on her face.

"I have a plan."

_See you soon, Daryl._

* * *

><p><strong>Woo! Finally finished! After a week of being miserably sick, I finally finished this chapter! Yay! Sorry for the wait. Anyways. Damn. That action scene sucked. I, personally, don't have much experience writing action-y scenes, so I thought that I would try writing one in this chapter. After all, it was a pretty important battle. Anyways. I do believe that that scene was rushed, but oh well. It was straight to the point. And Tsugumi has a plan! WOO! YOU GO, GURL! TAKE INITIATIVE AND SAVE THAT BOY (something I wish would've happened in the actual anime... *coughfinalecough*)<strong>

**And I like sarcastic Daryl. Sarcastic to the point it's funny. l-o-l.**

**Thanks for reading! **

**Next time: Tsugumi busts TsunDaryl out of prison and adorkable fluffiness ensues! And the plot thickens! *again***


	12. I Will Protect You

_I Will Protect You_

Daryl Yan found himself being escorted out by a man he didn't know and Dan Eagleman. He groaned in frustration, realizing that there was no way of getting out of this situation. He had previously tried to get Dan to help him out, but he realized that it was futile. _I just have to keep calm, and I'll be fine. _Daryl took a deep breath and took a seat when asked.

"Daryl Yan, charged with treason and subordination, you have been stripped of your rank of Second Lieutenant. Are you aware of this?"

Daryl's body tensed up. "Yes."

"Now. First off, let's keep things simple. _Why_ did you do it? Were you under someone else's authority?"

"I did it because I wanted to."

The man placed his elbows on the table and rested his chin on his hands. He glared at Daryl and pierced him with his sharp eyes. "That's an awfully... _vague_ answer. It was pretty obvious that you did it on your own free will. However, there was a certain motivation you had behind these actions, wasn't there?"

Daryl leaned in forward and smugly looked at him, "And what do you claim that motivation to be? That's quite the bold accusation. Do you have anything to back up that claim of yours?"

"Tch." He walked up to Daryl and kicked him off the chair in frustration. He grabbed his shirt and shoved him against the wall. "So tell me, Daryl Yan. Who was that 'runt' you were referring to, hm? You obviously knew someone in the vicinity at the time. Ah. That's right. There was a girl we had one of our pilots' guns pointed at. Was my _accusation_ correct? So, I shall ask you once again. Why did you disobey orders?"

Daryl stayed silent before finally responding, "Why should I tell you?"

_Tch... He's acting all high and mighty with me. This is fucking pissing me off, but it looks like he's catching on... No matter what, I can't tell him about Tsugumi... _Daryl waited for him to ask him another question. However, instead of asking him a question, he punched Daryl straight across the face, bruising his cheek.

"G-Gah!" Daryl fell and roughly slid across the ground and was punched again. This time, on the other side of his face. The man stood up and kicked his shin until it was bruised as well. Daryl winced in pain on the ground and looked up to see that he had stopped.

He spat at Daryl, enraged, "I have no problems beating you within an inch of your life. However, I may spare you the trouble if you just simply _cooperate. _Do you understand, Daryl Yan?"

"Over my dead body, you bastard." Daryl laughed before getting kicked again. Daryl struggled to get up. He leaned over against the wall for support while he stood back up, his legs shaking in pain. Right when he finally regained adequate footing, he got punched in the gut and fell back down.

That was when Dan hollered from the corner of the room, "Stop it! You can't just hurt a man when he's down! That's just not right!" He looked down at Daryl who was writhing in pain and continued, "Betrayal isn't acceptable either! However, at a time like this, I cannot approve of you beating him like this! It's just unethical!"

Daryl tilted his head up to get a good look at Dan and smirked. _Maybe he's not so useless after all, haha... _

"I won't stop until he tells me _why_ he disobeyed orders!"

"Just give it a rest for now. Let's just escort him back to his cell. He'll have to tell us eventually. It's either that or he dies and rots in that cell. It's a win-win for us anyways. Let's just give this poor kid a break."

The man sighed in frustration and gave in, "Fine. Do what you want!" He stormed out of the room, leaving Dan and Daryl all alone. Dan walked over to Daryl and pulled him up. He pulled Daryl's arm and slung it across his shoulders and dragged him back to his cell. Dan smiled and gave Daryl a thumbs up, "Heroes always come to those in need!"

Daryl scoffed and smiled, "And heroes always arrive late."

Dan frowned, "I had to observe how bad things really were, okay? But you know... You should be more careful, kid. Just because you're young doesn't mean that they'll be nice to you or anything."

"Don't you think that I know that already!" Daryl yelled back. However, Dan simply shrugged him off.

"So... Daryl? That's your name, right?

Daryl nodded and Dan continued curiously, "So... Why did you disobey orders? You don't have to answer though. Just curious. That's all." He asked while Daryl struggled to get back on his bed.

"I wanted to protect her."

"Her? You mean that girl you called 'runt'?"

"Yeah... That's the one."

Dan simply laughed, "You're a good kid, you know? Hah. It must be nice to have a girl you want to protect, right? It kind of gives you a reason to keep going. Anyways. I'm done for today. Don't do anything reckless, kid. And... NICE GUTS! You're strong for a kid, kiddo! FIGHT ON!" He waved good-bye and promptly left the room.

Daryl laid down on the bed and closed his eyes, hoping to just sleep the pain off. As a soldier, he was used to pain, physical and mental. However, it was always in an indirect form. He was hardly ever injured by someone else in person. It mainly had to do with his status, being General Major Yan's "son" and all.

He quickly forgot about the sharp pain surging through his legs when he began to think about what Dan was saying.

"_It must be nice to have a girl you want to protect, right? It kind of gives you a reason to keep going."_

Strange enough, Dan was actually right for once.

_A reason to keep going, huh? That means that I should probably get out of here soon... I can't stay here any longer. Maybe four-eyes from Funeral Parlor can help me out... What was his name?... Shibungi?_

When Daryl looked over at Shibungi's cell, it was empty. There was a chessboard lying around on a table, but that was it.

_What? Chess? Could it be...?_

* * *

><p>Tsugumi turned around and announced, "It's a rescue mission."<p>

She put her hands on her hips and waited for someone to say something. Pacing around the room, she continued, "We are going to break into the enemy's headquarters and into their jail cells. Simple enough, right? Don't worry! I have a _perfect_ disguise too! If you guys want, I can break in myself while you guys monitor my surroundings!"

Arugo calmly stood there and said, "Look. I trust that you can pull this off and all, but first thing's first... Who exactly are we rescuing?"

"Well... About that!" Tsugumi nervously laughed. "Promise you guys won't get mad? Or like snap and flip out on me?"

He simply nodded his head and waited for Tsugumi to continue.

"Daryl Yan!" Tsugumi blurted out as fast as she could.

Ayase rolled her eyes, "You've got to be kidding me... Tsugumi! Do you honestly expect _me_ to help rescue _him_? He's tried to kill us a million times before! He almost killed me _twice_!"

Arugo interjected, "Calm down, Ayase. I'm pretty sure Tsugumi has her reasons. However, Tsugumi, you do realize that he's the enemy right? I don't know what's happened between the two of you to make you want to save him, but..."

Tsugumi nervously stood there, her legs slightly shaking.

"I'm in."

Her eyes widened, astonished that Arugo would actually go along with her plan! However, Ayase harshly added, "Arugo! Why? He's the enemy! How can we trust him?"

"How can I not? It was the same thing with Shu... I didn't trust him. Now look what happened to him. Deep down, he was doing this in order to help everyone. I don't want to make the same mistake and put someone's innocent life at risk. Innocent or not, I don't want to take the risk. Plus, Tsugumi's asking us for help. _Tsugumi_. Normally she doesn't confide in us for, well, anything! This must be pretty important for her to ask us for help. Come on, Ayase. Help her out. She's your friend, right? Moping around isn't going to stop her, you know? She's just that kind of person." Arugo bluntly stated.

He sighed, "Tell me when you guys are ready to leave."

He promptly left to prepare for the mission, gathering all the necessary firearms, securing a proper vehicle, and examining possible routes they could take. Meanwhile, Ayase stayed with Tsugumi, conflicted about whether she should help her best friend in the whole world or go against her own beliefs. Ayase was about to open her mouth to say something when Tsugumi quickly interrupted her, "If you don't want to, you don't have to." She smiled, understanding that Ayase really didn't want to help Daryl. "I understand how you feel. You don't want to help Daryl, right? I'm not going to force you to help me, Aya-nee... But... I want you to understand something. Daryl saved me, but _this time_, I'll be the one to save him."

Tsugumi walked up to Ayase and gently placed her hands on her shoulders, smiling, "I'll be back before you know it, Aya-nee! With Daryl, too! You'll see! He's not that bad. I know he almost killed you, like, twice, but although it's probably hard to believe, he's a good guy!" Tsugumi winked and pranced out of the room, waving back at Ayase who was left speechless. She slowly reached her hand out, but Tsugumi was already gone.

She sighed and drooped her shoulders, "As I was about to say... I was going to help you..." Ayase made her way to the kitchen to get something to eat, frustrated. _Seriously... She's so persistent. I was actually going to help her though. Help Tsugumi; not him! How can I buy that? He's a good guy even though he almost killed me twice? What? Okay. I give him credit for saving Tsugumi, but that's it! What else has he done for her? Why does she care about him so much?_

_It's not like... I'm jealous or anything..._

* * *

><p>Tsugumi leaped into the truck while Arugo started up the engine. They raced out of headquarters and towards the GHQ building. However, a few miles before they reached their destination, Tsugumi ordered Arugo to take a quick detour. She tightly held onto Funell, and looked out the window for Daryl's house. <em>I have to break into Daryl's house and grab that GHQ uniform, so I can use it as a disguise...<em>

"Hey, Tsugumi. Where exactly are we going?"

Tsugumi raced up to the driver's seat and tightly grabbed onto it, pointing at a huge building in the distance. "Over there! That really, rea~lly, _really_ big building that's not destroyed and messed up and actually looks nice!"

They made a sharp turn to the right and continued down the road, racing towards Daryl's home. When they finally arrived, Tsugumi leaped out of the van and ran towards the entrance. She dropped Funell onto the ground and transparent, blue holographic screens popped up. Tsugumi began going through multiple windows and slowly typing a few things. When she finally gained access to Daryl's security system, she quickly hacked into it and retrieved his passcode. She didn't have a card or anything like that to quickly access his home, so she had to manually type in the passcode, much to her dismay. _I should've asked him for one of those fancy all-access cards he has. _

She sighed and walked into his home and dashed into the elevator. She walked out into his room and scanned the room. _Crap! Where is it?_ Tsugumi sprinted to his closet and dug through the hangers when she found her uniform neatly hung up.

Tsugumi smiled, "Well that was awfully nice of him. I thought he would just leave it lying around or something."

She slipped on the jacket and lightly tapped her earpiece. "Arugo! I'm coming out now!"

Tsugumi promptly left his house and jumped into the truck. Arugo turned around to look at Tsugumi's "perfect disguise".

Arugo whistled, "Nice disguise. Where'd you get that fancy jacket from?"

"A good friend of mine." She giggled.

"Can't wait to get to know him." He smirked. "Now hold on tight!"

He stomped on the gas peddle and sped down the empty streets towards GHQ headquarters. Arugo strategically parked the truck in a shaded area, and cautiously observed their surroundings. When all was clear, he turned around to Tsugumi, who was now activating Funell's communication systems. He gave her a thumbs up and grimaced, "Everything's clear. Don't get caught, haha."

Tsugumi smirked and tapped her earpiece, turning it on, waiting for it to sync with Funell. She glanced down at Funell and exclaimed, "Aye!" She watched as the lights on the robot lit up green, signaling that it was working. Her voice echoed out of Funell's speakers stored inside. "I'll be right back!"

* * *

><p>Segai was sitting in front of his massive super computer, waiting for something. He observed his security cameras and frowned, "A rescue mission? She forgot to deactivate our security. What a careless mistake."<p>

He held his finger over a button on the holographic interface and innocently grinned, "Well it's not like anyone will suspect me if I ratchet down our security a bit. Oh my. How exciting. I feel so rebellious."

Segai lightly tapped the button and watched as the security system slowly shut down.

"And no one has to know! Right, Rowan?"

Rowan nervously stood there, watching Segai amuse himself. "Yes, Chief. Ah. I think I'll go check on Daryl for a moment. You know... Rescue mission and all."

"Sure. Do whatever you want. You should know by now that I honestly don't care what you do, right?"

"A-Ah. Sorry, Chief Segai. I'll be back in a while." Rowan slowly exited the room and headed down to Daryl's cell. When he walked in, he found Daryl scowling at, well, nothing.

"Lieutenant, how are you feeling?"

"Who are you calling Lieutenant? I'm a prisoner."

"A-Ah... I meant... Daryl! How are you feeling?"

"Like shit. Oh well. Not like it matters. I'll find a way to break out..." Rowan could hear Daryl's die down to a slight mumble, "Eventually..."

_So Daryl's scheming on escaping with Shibungi, I'm guessing? Well this isn't good... Tsugumi should be here any moment..._

"Why don't you rest for a bit, Daryl? It's not like anyone's going to be doing anything to you right now... Just relax for a bit. You're injured as well." Rowan sighed, "And I see that you still haven't eaten your food or taken your pain killers."

Daryl slightly winced in pain when he growled back, "I DON'T NEED ANY PAINKILLERS. I CAN HANDLE THIS!"

_He's so scary when he's mad, but this is best way I can stall him for now. I can't have him doing anything rash..._

Rowan sighed in frustration. Little did he know that he was about to have his world turned... _slightly_ upside-down.

* * *

><p>Tsugumi sidled against the wall until she was in the open. She casually walked towards the large entrance when she realized that she had forgotten to deactivate their security system. However, what shocked her the most was that their security system was <em>already<em> deactivated. At first, Tsugumi was somewhat suspicious that she was walking into a trap, but then she realized that the GHQ could simply track them down and go to them directly. After all, they controlled all of Japan. After a bit of thinking, Tsugumi merely shrugged it off and strolled into the massive building. She felt a faint surge of nostalgia as she walked towards the elevator. _This is the one Daryl and I would go to every morning._

Everyone around her was beginning to look at her strangely. Thankfully, they recognized her as "the girl who was always with Lieutenant Yan". She took a deep breath and entered the elevator, going up to the floor Daryl was supposedly being held in. When she found the room, the door surprisingly slid open upon sensing her presence. _Wait... So the security system is FULLY shut off? _When she walked in, not only did she see Daryl, but she also saw Shibungi and Rowan. Tsugumi happily greeted Rowan and placed Funell on the ground, who was now racing towards Daryl's cell, preparing to break him out.

Rowan picked up Funell and smiled, "There's no need for this." He turned around and gently placed Funell away from the cell and dug into his pocket. Rowan pulled out a card, similar to the one Daryl had. He slid it, and the jail cell door slid open. Daryl was about to run towards Tsugumi when she suddenly stopped him. Tsugumi pointed at Shibungi's cell and pouted, "Him too!"

Rowan happily released Shibungi and made his way to the exit. Tsugumi's eyes widened in shock when she realized that it really was Shibungi. "'Bungi! You're alive? You're not a ghost right?"

Shibungi chuckled, "Yes, Tsugumi. I'm alive. Good to see you as well."

Meanwhile, Daryl stood there pouting, waiting for recognition.

"That's a relief!" Tsugumi sighed. She then turned to Daryl and ran into his arms, which surprised him. Tsugumi tightly wrapped her arms around him and finally let him go. She looked up and smiled, "Told you I would see you soon."

"You were a tad bit late, runt." Daryl teased, smirking.

"Shut up, Sprout."

Rowan awkwardly made his way to the exit and said, "If anyone asks, I was never here."

Tsugumi ran up to Rowan and tightly gripped onto his arm, slightly scaring him. "Wait! You can't leave! You're coming with us!" She announced. Tsugumi smiled at Daryl and motioned for Shibungi to come with her. They cautiously entered the main lobby when Rowan nervously said, trying to cover up the fact that they were breaking out prisoners, "Daryl, Shibungi. You two are to be interrogated by a personnel that doesn't work here. They work in a separate area. They're specialists, like Segai. I won't handcuff you two or anything as long as you promise to not try and escape."

Tsugumi nervously scanned the room. No one bothered to stop them. She let out a sigh of relief as they safely exitted the building. Surprisingly, no one was suspicious. Maybe it was because Rowan was with them?

Rowan looked at Tsugumi and said, "Oh. By the way... Segai took Daryl and Shibungi's clothes down to that truck you guys have parked behind the building."

"Wait! So... You two knew?" Tsugumi asked, baffled.

"Of course we knew. Chief Segai knows _everything_." He smiled eerily. "Now let's get going, shall we?"

Arugo, Rowan, and Shibungi insisted on all three of them sitting in the front. How that would work out, Tsugumi wasn't really sure. She patiently waited outside until Daryl was finished changing. When he was done, they both sat together in the back. Arugo started up the engine, and the truck sped out of the area and back to the abandoned streets of Tokyo.

Tsugumi leaned her head onto Daryl's shoulder, lightly holding onto his arm. She shut her eyes and waited.

"Why did you come for me?" Daryl asked.

"I wanted to save you."

"And so did I."

Tsugumi sighed, "I couldn't help it. I can't stand the idea of you getting hurt because of me..."

Tsugumi squeezed his arm, "You're too important to me. I– "

She abruptly paused when she felt Daryl gently tilt her chin up. He was lightly blushing when he bluntly admitted, "You're important to me too, you know? If I had let you die back there, I would have never forgiven myself. I wouldn't know what to do with myself."

Daryl slowly leaned in, the space in between their faces growing smaller and smaller. Tsugumi lightly shut her eyes and leaned in, closing the gap. Daryl softly and tenderly kissed her, lightly running his hands up and down her back. Tsugumi slowly opened her eyes as they parted and gazed into his bright amethyst eyes.

"Daryl I– "

Daryl interrupted her by swiftly grabbing her hand and wrapping his pinky around hers.

"I promise to protect you with my life."

He lowered her hand and lightly held it in his. Daryl leaned in and rested his forehead on hers and slowly breathed in and out. Tsugumi sat there in silence, reluctantly gazing into his eyes again. She could feel her face grow hot as he clasped her hands in between his.

Tsugumi smiled, "You're acting awfully out-of-character as of late, Daryl."

"S-Shut up, runt. It's not like I– "

Tsugumi giggled at the face he made when he realized his mistake. _He already admitted that he cared for me a lot. How cute! I guess he must've forgotten already. _

"Guess you forgot about all that 'you're important to me too' stuff already?" Tsugumi playfully pinched and pulled on his cheek.

"N-No!... O-Ow! C-Can you pleash shtop that? My face hurts!"

She jerked her hand away and sat up straight, moving away from his face. Tsugumi closely examined Daryl's face when she realized it was slightly bruised. She gently caressed his cheek and worriedly asked, "What did they do to you, Daryl?"

Daryl grabbed her wrist and lowered her hand. He looked away and angrily pouted, "They interrogated me, but I'm starting to think that they just did that as an excuse to physically punish me."

"An excuse to... physically punish you? Daryl! How much did they hurt you? Tell me!" She demanded.

"They beat me up a bit. It's not that bad... Honest! Tch. I just don't understand anything. It doesn't make sense. Why do they need to know my motives? Couldn't they just punish me?"

Tsugumi sadly looked down, "I guess you shouldn't worry about it too much anymore." She looked up, her face now beaming, "Because you're going to be with us from now on out!"

She lightly pecked Daryl on his bruised cheek. "Everything will be okay."

He smirked, "Daryl Yan betraying the GHQ to be with Funeral Parlor? Sounds like fun."

Tsugumi awkwardly shifted her eyes around the room. "About that... I'm going to have to introduce you to a very, very good friend of mine! Uh... Aya-nee– I mean! Ayase."

"Ayase?"

"Ayase Shinomiya. Uh. How do I put this?..."

"Go on... Just say it!" Daryl snapped.

"She kinda hates your guts, so uh. Good luck."

They pulled up to Funeral Parlor's new headquarters when Shibungi opened the back door. "We've arrived. I'll be waiting inside."

Daryl was somewhat worried now. "What else do I need to know about her?"

"Um..." Tsugumi was starting to get worried as well. She hesitantly responded, "Uh... She kind of stole your Steiner too."

"WHAT?" Daryl blurted out. "M-My Steiner?"

Tsugumi sighed, "Yes, Daryl. Your _precious_ Steiner."

_This is going to be very difficult... My best friend in the world hates Daryl's guts. Now he probably doesn't like her because she stole his custom-made Steiner. This is going to be a long day..._

Tsugumi slowly stood up and stretched her hand out, and they walked out hand-in-hand.

_I'm sure everything will be okay. _

She intertwined her fingers in his and smiled, "Promise me that you'll get along with her?"

"I can't guarantee that'll happen anytime soon." Daryl bluntly responded.

Tsugumi pouted, "Fine..."

_Oh well... I guess Daryl will always be Daryl._

"You're so stubborn sometimes! You know that, Daryl?"

He laughed, "Yeah. That's why I never die."

Tsugumi snorted, "Is that also why you can stand getting one-shotted by Shu every single time, _sprout_?"

"Just... Just please don't bring that up anymore, stupid runt."

"Whatever you say, _darling_."

Daryl avoided eye-contact with Tsugumi, embarrassed that she brought up such a despised topic of his. "I hate how I can't stay mad at you."

"I love that you can't stay mad at me."

_Yes. That's right. Everything will be okay. Now all we have to do is find Shu and save the day. And when everything is over, we'll finally have our happy ending._

Tsugumi held onto his hand as they walked through the large entrance as if she was tightly holding onto her dreams, never wanting to let go. _One day, that ending will become a reality. _She wanted a reality where she could eat ice cream with Daryl, celebrate their birthdays, live in happiness and peace together. He would be her Prince Charming, and she would be his beloved princess. She believed that this kind of happy ending was possible.

Now if only they could stop this god-damned apocalypse.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Sorry that it took so long! I had this really big test I had to study for, but I've finally finished. It ended up being a bit longer than I had anticipated, but here you go! Eep. I would like to thank all the readers and people who have reviewed this story because it really means a lot to me! MEEP. Looks like Daryl and Ayase probably won't get along well. Oh who am I kidding? They obviously won't get along well. And Daryl's precious Steiner? I ship Daryl/Steiner. Just like Daryl/Cake. It's kind of like Ayase/Legs. Someone shoot me now._


	13. Decisions and Regret

_Decisions and Regret_

Tsugumi walked into the main room of their new headquarters, beginning to loosen her grip on Daryl's hand. As she released his hand, Tsugumi gave him a reassuring smile.

"Everything'll be okay." She whispered before walking off, leaving him alone.

Daryl scanned the room for Rowan. When he spotted his green beret, he quickly made his way to him. Rowan turned around, sensing his presence and smiled, "This is quite the predicament we're in..."

"Predicament?" Daryl asked, raising an eyebrow.

Rowan slowly paced around the room and placed a hand on the large glass window. He sighed and glanced down at the destroyed city. "Well. Turns out... They've found out about our escape, and well. Now that we're officially traitors, things may get a bit... _complicated_."

Daryl laughed, "Like that matters now." He went to Rowan's side and looked up at him, smirking, "You're not regretting this are you?"

Rowan looked like he was about to cry any moment now. He started throwing a tantrum like a little kid. "What are you talking about? Regret? What decision is there to regret? I had no say in this! I was just dragged along against my will by your girlfriend!"

Turning around, Daryl sighed. He held up one finger, trying to make a point, "First off: Tsugumi is _not_ my girlfriend– "

"Yet!" Daryl heard Rowan snicker behind him. Daryl walked up to Rowan and simply slapped him across the face.

"Second!" He yelled very articulately, trying to get Rowan's attention again. Daryl swiftly turned back around and began pacing around Rowan. "It's not like you liked being on _that_ side anyways! Why are you complaining? The things they did... It went against your ethical values, am I right? You should be glad, I guess."

Daryl slowly rubbed the back of his head, slightly ruffling his hair, and turned around again, trying to avoid Rowan's gaze. He quickly added, slightly blushing, "I-It's not like I'm trying t-to c-c-cheer you up or anything though, so... Don't get the wrong ide– "

Before Daryl could finish, Rowan pulled Daryl into a tight hug. "I always knew you were a good kid deep down inside!"

"W-What are you doing? Get off me before your germs infect me or something!"

Daryl harshly shoved Rowan away from him, and his face began to grow hot. "A-And I'm not nice!"

He stormed out of the room, hoping to run into Tsugumi. _I can't believe he even did that! Seriously... What's gotten into him? And Tsugumi is not my girlfriend! Why does he keep saying that? _Daryl pouted and continued walking around the large building until he ran into someone else. _Well... I guess it kind of makes sense for her to be my girlfriend, right?... I mean... I have kissed her like... Twice. We've also slept in the same bed many times before, and... _Daryl quickly shook his head in frustration. _No! I should just stop thinking about it. _Daryl was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't notice Ayase slowly approaching him.

"Hey you!"

Ayase's voice snapped Daryl back into reality. His head jolted up to see a girl in a wheelchair. "H-Huh! Oh uh... Hey."

"Don't just_ 'Oh uh... Hey' _me, Daryl Yan!" Ayase snapped, poorly imitating his voice. She rolled up to Daryl and gripped his jacket's collar and jerked his head towards her, hoarsely whispering in his ear. "You better listen up, _buddy_. I don't know what's going on between you and Tsugumi, but if _anything_ and I mean _anything_ happens to her, I'm going to make sure that you'll never be able to pilot an endlave ever again! _Ever! _And if that doesn't happen, I'll be sure to slowly tear you apart _limb by limb_. I will make your death so _excruciating_ that you'll regret ever being born. _Got it_?"

Daryl slowly bobbed his head up and down, "Got it."

Ayase slowly released Daryl and fiercely glared at him, "Tsugumi's my best friend. She's almost like a sister to me. Just thought I'd let you know, and by the way..." She turned around and was about to exit to room when she added, "If you break her heart, I'll crush your skull."

Daryl merely stood there, frowning. Her words didn't frighten him at all. Rather than frighten him, Ayase's words enraged him. _Stupid paraplegic bitch. One of these days... _Luckily, he had maintained composure and didn't shove her off her wheelchair or anything like that. He couldn't risk Tsugumi's trust. Daryl made his way up to the highest floor, unable to find Tsugumi anywhere else. It was he only place he hadn't seen yet. When he finally reached the highest floor, he was greeted by a gorgeous sunset. Half of the room was encompassed in light shining through the massive glass windows. Tsugumi was calmly sitting down, staring out the window. Hearing Daryl's footsteps, she slowly turned her head to greet him.

"Oh. Hey, Daryl!"

He sat down next to her, their hands centimeters apart. "Hey. What are you doing all the way up here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." She smiled. "Just... taking everything in. Everything that has happened to this city, this country, you, me... Everyone."

Tsugumi sadly looked out the window and leaned her head onto Daryl's shoulder, gently placing her hand on his. She sighed, lightly squeezing his hand. "I just wish that this would all end soon."

"Everyone does..."

Daryl had never really thought about it before. He enjoyed fighting, but when he really thought about it, he didn't really like the situation they were in. It was just so... _pointless_. All of it. This whole "war" started because of a stupid, god-damn vial of who-knows-what and some normal, socially-awkward teenage boy's bat-shit insane sister. In fact, Daryl was sick of it all too. Killing without cause. He only attacked when he was provoked. When he thought about it, his void really did make sense. It only hurts others when he is attacked first. The whole red line business? It just wasn't his style.

"It's just all so... pointless. You know what I mean?"

He felt Tsugumi nod and smiled. Daryl wasn't sure how long they sat there, but when he looked up, it was dark. Tsugumi lightly nudged his arm and whispered, "We should be going to bed now, shouldn't we?" She grinned.

"What? I don't get a room of my own?" Daryl inquired, trying to hide the fact that he actually missed sleeping with her.

"What? You _don't_ like sleeping with me?" She pouted. Daryl simply ignored her and began walking towards the stairs, but Tsugumi quickly caught up with him. "Hey! Don't just ignore me!"

Daryl suddenly pulled her in closer to him and slung his arm around her shoulder. "So which way's your room?"

She glanced up at Daryl, her face beaming, "Just down these stairs."

* * *

><p>Tsugumi missed sharing a bed with Daryl a lot more than she thought she would. She was extremely depressed the first night they were separated. However, she quickly got over it, but now, feeling his warmth pressed against her, she felt this sense of longing and nostalgia.<p>

She carelessly thought out loud, "I missed this..." Tsugumi began to madly blush, "I-I mean!"

"I missed this too..." Daryl admitted, madly blushing as well. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer until her head was resting on his chest.

Tsugumi's lips curled into a small smile, "You're being unusually... sweet. Did you really miss me that much?" She teased.

"N-no."

"Uhuh... Whatever you say, sprout."

"S-Shut up, runt."

* * *

><p>Ouma Haruka was currently in a state of shock and panic. <em>The third void genome should be around here somewhere... <em>She quickly swiped her card and sprinted into the room to find Segai waiting for her.

"W-What are you doing here?"

Segai eerily smiled, "Doing you a favor."

Segai promptly escorted Haruka out of the room. They quickly paced down the corridor, Haruka heavily breathing.

"Why are you doing this, Chief Segai?"

"I have my own personal reasons, and they just happen to conveniently coincide with yours."

They continued to hastily stride down the hallways when they finally reached an elevator. "It's Mana. Mana is gone! I have no other choice now than to give that to someone who is worthy of wielding its power."

Segai frowned and eyed Haruka curiously, "Why not Shu?"

She sadly looked down, "I refuse to put Shu in any danger!"

"Aren't you just being _selfish_, Ouma Haruka? Besides, aren't you the one who wanted his arm decapitated?"

"Y-Yes... But!"

"Don't tell me you're regretting that decision now."

"It was for his own good. I had to protect him from _her_."

"So you had his arm decapitated?"

She tried to say something but was quickly cut off by Segai. He merely shrugged, "Anyways! We need to get out of here as soon as possible, don't we?" He grinned.

"Y-Yes... We should, Segai..." Haruka hesitantly spoke, still weary of Segai's true intentions. _  
><em>

* * *

><p>Tsugumi and Daryl couldn't sleep, so they began to talk for a while. Tsugumi slightly blushed, unsure of whether she should say something to Daryl. <em>I think I should confess to him, but at the same time, I think that I shouldn't until the war is over... What if he doesn't even have feelings for me?<em> Daryl noticed that Tsugumi was silent for quite a bit too long.

"What's wrong?"

"N-Nothing."

Daryl slightly pushed Tsugumi away from him, so he could see her face. _Why does she look so sad? _He frowned, realizing that there really was something wrong. He gazed into her eyes, but she quickly looked away. _That's... strange. Normally she doesn't do that. _

"Daryl I have something I want to tell you– "

Tsugumi felt something soft and wet press against her lips. Before she knew it, Daryl's face was directly in front of hers. _Why is he? _Tsugumi slowly shut her eyes and softly kissed him back. They quickly parted, leaving Tsugumi conflicted.

"D-Daryl, why did you– "

She was cut off again when Daryl suddenly wrapped his arms around her again. _What is he trying to do? I don't understand! Ugh! I'm trying to tell him, but he! _

"It'll be okay. You don't have to tell me yet. You can tell me later on."

Daryl felt Tsugumi nod against his chest. She closed her eyes, musing until she fell asleep. When she thought about it, she sometimes felt as if she didn't have a connection with Daryl. Tsugumi understood what it felt like to be alone. She could tell when he was upset. However, at times, she just couldn't figure out how he was really feeling. It bothered her to a certain extent. Tsugumi wished to understand his pain, his view of the world. Most of all, she wanted to know how he really felt about her. The more she thought about it, the more she realized how _strange_ their relationship was. It was just so unlikely. He was a psychopathic killer with a father complex, and she was a terrorist organization's hacker who just happened to like to wear cat ears. It was amazing how fast their relationship developed. It was as if they just clicked.

Tsugumi felt a sickening pang of hope. The more she thought about it, the more she was sure that Daryl loved her back. After all, he's kissed her three times However, almost sure just wasn't enough, so she decided to keep her mouth shut for the rest of the night.

* * *

><p>They were a good distance from the GHQ complex when they finally took a break. Segai was calling Rowan when, suddenly, a woman in a motorcycle came to an abrupt stop in front of them. When she removed her helmet, Haruka exclaimed, "Kurachi!"<p>

The woman had dark hair tied up into a pony tail with a bright red ribbon. She strangely resembled Tsugumi. Kurachi asked with concern, "Haruka? What are you doing here?"

Haruka quickly pointed at the briefcase that Segai was holding. "That's the third void genome. I need you to report to Funeral Parlor headquarters that I'm going to be coming. Segai currently has someone coming to transport us there. This is an emergency!"

"Okay. Then I'll be on my way. We can talk later."

And with that, Kurachi was on her way back to headquarters. Haruka turned to Segai and asked, "How long until– "

Segai interrupted her and curtly responded, "A few minutes."

Meanwhile, Rowan was speeding down the road as fast as he could. _I don't know what Segai wants, but it must be important if he bothered to call me. _He could spot Segai's distinct purple hair in the distance and... a woman? He could make out a beautiful woman with voluminous, chestnut shoulder-length hair. _Maybe today isn't such a bad day after all. _Rowan came to a complete stop when he heard Segai's faint voice from outside.

"I'll take the back to make sure that no one is following us."

Haruka sat next to Rowan in the front while Segai activated the radar in the back in the van. Haruka swiftly shut the door and didn't bother to put on her seat belt.

She smiled at Rowan. "You must be Andrei Rowan. I'm Ouma Haruka."

"Nice to meet you, Haruka." Rowan warmly smiled. He shifted his attention back to the road and hesitantly asked, his grip tightening on the steering wheel, "So... What exactly is going on?"

Haruka sadly looked down at her lap, nervously twiddling her thumbs. "They're trying to start another Lost Christmas again. It's going to be happening fairly soon. They're trying to awaken Mana once more."

"Oh... I-I see..."

Haruka smiled, brushing aside the heavy atmosphere at the time. "But... That's why we have the void genome with us! With this, we'll definitely have a chance, so don't worry!"

She playfully gave Rowan a thumbs up and squinted her eyes at the road. _We're almost there...I wonder how Shu is doing..._

"We're almost there." Rowan announced. He nervously stole a few glances at Haruka before focusing on the road again. _She's really, I mean, really pretty... Ack! No! Bad Rowan! She has a son! She is most likely married! Speaking of which... Where is her son?_

* * *

><p>Shu grunted as he tried to get up and propped himself up against a wall. He scanned the room for Inori, but she was no where to be found. Shu tightly gripped his right sleeve, reminding him that his arm was no longer there. Suddenly, footsteps began to echo throughout the abandoned building. <em>Could it be Inori?<em> However, to Shu's disappointment, it was a young boy.

The child cautiously glanced at the food lying on a few boxes and then back at Shu. Shu didn't budge and simply ignored him. The boy sprinted towards the food and tore the wrapper open, completely devouring the tiny snack bar. When he was done salvaging whatever food he could, he quickly left never to be seen again.

Shu sighed and took out his phone. _It should be fine... Inori should be back soon with more food. _He switched it on, revealing a transparent, blue holographic screen. He opened his gallery and pressed the slideshow button, wistfully reminiscing the past. Oh how he missed his friends! Despite having been betrayed by them so many times, he just couldn't bring himself to hate them. Suddenly, the current image slightly faded into a dull gray. Shu lifted up his right arm to press the replay button, but nothing happened.

He quickly remembered that he no longer had a right arm. He felt his eyes water as his vision began to blur. A tear trickled down his cheek as he put his phone away and curled up into a ball of despair.

_I miss them so much..._

He wiped his tears away when Inori came back and smiled. As long as Inori was with him, he would be okay. _That's right... Inori is here with me. She'll stay by my side. That's right... Everything will be okay as long as I have Inori..._

"Welcome back, Inori." Shu sadly smiled.

"Shu." Inori curtly responded, kneeling down next to Shu, dropping her grocery bags. She took a small container out and gently placed it on the ground. She helped Shu back up and plopped the lid off the container. Steam slowly rose out, and the savory aroma completely took over all of Shu's senses. Inori firmly grabbed the container and held it up to Shu's mouth. "Soup, Shu. Here. Drink it. You must be hungry."

However, Shu turned his head to the side and smiled. "No. You have it Inori. You must be hungrier than me..."

"But Shu!"

"No, Inori! You have it! You deserve it! I've eaten more than you. It's only fair." He pleaded. He smiled as Inori slowly began to drink the soup. "Don't worry about me so much."

Inori put the container back down and closed it. To Shu's surprise, she suddenly pulled him into a tight hug. "Shu..."

"Inori?"

"I'll always be by your side. You know that, right, Shu?"

"Inori..."

Shu felt his cheek grow damp once more, and he tightly hugged her back.

"Thank you, Inori..."

* * *

><p>When they arrived, Rowan helped Haruka out of the van like the <em>gentleman<em> he was.

"Thanks, Rowan! You're so sweet!"

"N-No. It's nothing!" Rowan responded, being modest as usual. He turned around as Segai exitted the van, holding a silver briefcase. "Chief! Is that?"

He nodded. "Yes, Rowan. The third void genome! And I think I'm starting to understand why there's a third..." He playfully grinned. Rowan didn't bother saying anything and simply escorted them into the building. He groaned in frustration, worried about what trouble he would get into next. When they walked in, they were greeted by Kurachi, the rest of the Funeral Parlor members, Kanon, Yahiro, and Souta who had taken refuge at Funeral Parlor's new headquarters.

"I told them that you were coming like you asked."

Haruka nodded. "Thank you, Kurachi. As you all may know, I have something important to discuss with you all today, and it involves... this!" She pointed at the briefcase that Segai was holding. He stoically handed it to her and waited for her to finish explaining the situation. Haruka explained as they climbed up the stairs of the large building to the second floor.

"They're planning on starting _another_ Lost Christmas. They plan to awaken Mana very soon, and now that Gai has the king's power, this makes things somewhat difficult for us, which is why we're going to be using this. The third, and thankfully, last void genome. However, this is extremely risky..."

Haruka tightly gripped the railing and gazed down the large opening in the center of the building. "I need to inject this into someone who is willing to wield its powers. However, there are some serious side-eff– "

"I'll do it!" Ayase appeared out of no where, determined that she could do it. It was the least she could do for Shu. For herself.

"A-Ayase? But there are serious side-effects. You could also die!"

"How so?"

"Your body will most likely reject it. Only special people can use this, but... I have no choice but to use it now. Ayase, this is really dangerous! You're most likely going to die! Are you sure?"

Ayase confidently glanced up at Haruka and nodded. "Shu once gave me the courage and power to stand up and fight. So this time, I want to stand up on my own."

Daryl felt Tsugumi tightly grab his sleeve, genuinely concerned for her friend. She looked as if she were going to burst out in tears any moment. He wanted to look down and reassure her, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the scene. _Why is this so fucking suspenseful? It's like one of those overly-dramatic scenes in movies that last forever!_

Haruka hesitantly opened the briefcase, her hands slightly trembling. Ayase was about to grab the syringe when a loud explosion shook the entire building and, eventually, blew up the wall directly behind them, knocking the briefcase and the vile down to the first floor. Ayase frantically tried to catch the syringe, but her efforts were futile. When she turned around, she found that they were surrounded by GHQ troops. All of them had their guns ready to fire.

Daryl protectively shoved Tsugumi behind him, trying to read their movements. Without any hesitation, Daryl threw himself at one of the men and kicked him in the gut, knocking his gun out of his hand. He swiftly scooped up the gun and carelessly fired a few rounds around him, creating some distance between him and everyone else. Arugo charged in and knocked out one of them. Soon after, Oogumo came charging out of no where and slammed one of the troops against the wall and twisted his neck, effectively killing him.

Tsugumi slowly backed up until there was a fair distance between her and everyone else. She sprinted and leaped into the air, kicking one of the troops in the face, knocking him to the ground. She heard footsteps about a meter away from her, so she quickly turned around and did a roundhouse kick followed by a diagonal middle kick. She then did a sweep kick, causing him to roughly land on his back. He flinched as he tried to get up. Suddenly, he was shot by Daryl.

Daryl ran to Tsugumi to make sure that she was okay. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

Tsugumi frowned. "I'm perfectly fine! I can take care of myself!"

"Maybe you should just escape with Ayase. Me and everyone else can handle this!"

Right after Daryl finished talking, Tsugumi knocked the gun out of his hand and aimed directly next to his head, shooting one of the troops in the head behind him.

"Still think I can't handle this?" She smirked. Daryl grinned in response.

"Whatever, runt."

They stood back-to-back, effectively fighting off most of the men. However, when Tsugumi glanced over at Ayase, she noticed something.

"Who is tha– Oh my god! It's Shu!" Tsugumi screamed. This caused everyone to immediately halt whatever they were doing. Even the troops!

Ayase desperately hollered, "Shu! No! Don't!"

Shu bent over and picked up the syringe, twirling it in his hands. Haruka frantically ran down. "Shu! No! Please listen to me! If you take it a second time, you will die!"

"I want to thank you for everything..." Shu said, staring at Haruka, serenely smiling. "Even though I'm not actually your child, you took care of me, raised me, and loved me like your own. So I want to thank you... _Mom_."

At that point, Haruka's heart _broke_. She couldn't hold it in anymore. She said no more. All she could do was cry. "Shu you..."

Shu held up the third void genome and stabbed it into his chest, strange green substances appearing out of no where. However, they quickly subsided. He looked as if he were in pain, forcing his body to accept the void genome once more. Finally, a giant pillar of light emerged out of no where, enveloping Shu. Segai's eyes widened and a devilish grin appeared on his face.

"Yes! This is it! It's... _beautiful! _This is what I've been looking for! It's like falling in love all over again!"

The light subsided and Shu raised his left arm and plunged it into his chest. "Now... it's time that I find out what my void is!"

He pulled out a strange ball of light which immediately flew to his right, decapitated arm. It slowly began to take shape. It was turning into an arm! When it finished, there was a black, crystallized arm replacing the arm he had lost. There were strange glowing greenish-blue lines running down the arm.

Shu looked up at his friends, with a new determined look on his face. "I'm sorry, everyone, but can I borrow your powers one more time?" He asked as he climbed up the stairs.

Ayase was the first one to greet him. She smiled and nodded. Shu reached into her chest and pulled out her void.

"You can do it, Shu."

"Thank you, Ayase."

His legs began to crystallize and take the form of Ayase's void except, this time, they resembled his arm in appearance. As more GHQ reinforcements filed into the room, Shu quickly took them out. Daryl stared at the scene in amazement. _So this is what has been beating me all this time? Well that isn't fair at all... Stupid faceless bastard. _Tsugumi glanced up at Daryl and mischievously grinned when she saw Daryl begin to pout, finally seeing Shu's powers in person.

"So... How does it feel to be one-shotted by this guy every single time?"

"Shut it, cheeky brat."

"Ohohoho! Can't admit how pathetic you feel? And I noticed that you didn't call me your precious pet name that time."

"P-Pet name? Runt is an insult!"

"Oh really?" She curiously eyed him. "Well aren't you cute."

Before Daryl could get any angrier, Tsugumi slipped her hand into his and intertwined their fingers. "When all of this is over, you better damn remember to take me out on that date."

"Whatever, runt."

They both smiled, completely oblivious to all the destruction going on around them, for they were almost there.

They were one step closer to their happy ending.

* * *

><p>Meep! Sorry for the extremely long wait! My motivation to do anything progressive whatsoever dropped all the way down to zero once school ended, so I was writing this chapter bit by bit... the internet distracting me every 2 minutes didn't help one bit. Since I'm stuck at home with nothing to do, I'll most likely be spending most of my time writing and planning out the next few chapters now that my work ethic has gone up.<p>

Anyways! About this chapter... Some uh... Dargumi development? I don't even know if you can call it development, but OKAY! And more Shu/Inori some subtle Shu/Ayase. And... TADA! ROWAN/HARUKA! I SHIP THEM SO HARD. I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY. The idea came to me around the last couple of episodes of Guilty Crown when I thought that Daryl/Segai may switch sides. But obviously, that didn't happen. THEN ROWAN DIED. So yeah.

Please review. It motivates me. Seriously. It really does.


	14. White is Classier Than Black

_White is Classier than Black_

Shu fought off the soldiers with ease. He kept yelling out his friends' names, summoning their voids. However, something strange happened after he used Souta's. Everyone could only stare in shock until their worst fears were confirmed. Shu had taken his cancer. Souta could only stare in fear, his whole body trembling when he finally realized what had happened. The friend that he had _betrayed_ took his cancer. He _betrayed _Shu. Souta felt sick on the inside. He also felt guilty.

When Shu defeated all the enemies, he stood still and looked down at his new hand. He tightly clenched it into a fist and muttered something no one else could hear.

"I'm coming for you, Inori..."

He was unsure of what exactly had happened before she was captured. She was acting... _strange_. Her actions were erratic, unpredictable. It was as if she was a completely different person at certain times. Honestly, Shu couldn't remember much. He remembered her comforting words, her soft, sweet voice, her angelic singing. Then he blacked out. When Shu regained consciousness, Inori was gone. All that was left was one of her red hair clips placed in his hand.

* * *

><p>Inori woke up in the middle of the night, unable to sleep. She looked over at the box and realized that barely any of it was eaten. Slowly, she crawled over to it and took a bite of one of the rice balls. Inori sadly frowned and stared at her food, worried about Shu. <em>I can't keep this up any longer... At this rate... At this rate, I'll end up killing Shu!<em>

"_Yes... That's right."_

Inori heard an eerie voice in her head and walked over to one of the large windows to see a twisted, evil reflection of herself.

"_It's because you're a monster... Your heart is a fake." _Suddenly, the reflected distorted into another image, another girl. She looked almost identical to Inori. However, her hair was longer, and she wore different clothes. She smiled, _"A monster has no heart."_

The girl's eyes widened, and her smile grew even more twisted. She gazed into Inori's eyes with a crazed look. _"Come back to me... Before you kill Shu. Okay?"_

Inori slowly backed up in disbelief, her breathing becoming heavier. For once in her life, she was scared. She pressed her back up against a wall and stopped. "I'm... a _monster_?"

She fell down to her knees, slightly choking on her own words. "My heart... is a fake?"

Inori felt a sharp pain surge throughout her chest, making it suddenly feel tight. The sudden urge to cry, the feeling of hopelessness completely took her over body. She remembered one time when she was staying at Shu's house.

* * *

><p><em>He was nervous and cautiously asked, "Hey, Inori?"<em>

"_Hm? What is it, Shu?" _

_W-Well... I was wondering... Why is your void?– Ah. On second thought, never mind." _

"_Why?" Inori remembered herself asking._

_Shu finally responded, "It's just that it might have something to do with your soul..." He turned around and gently smiled, "But you are you."_

* * *

><p>Inori pushed herself up, her hallucinations now gone. She felt a sudden pang of hope take over the uneasy feeling she had before. <em>I am me. <em>She confidentially walked into another area of the building with new found determination, a new purpose. The ceiling was completely blown off. Inori looked up at the starry night sky, musing about what had just happened. She was more hopeful now, more okay with herself. However, she still felt a tinge of fear in her heart. She tried to forget about it the only way she could. _Singing._

"_Oh blooming wildflower... I beg you, please tell me... Why do people fight and hurt each other? Valiantly blooming wildflower..." _

Inori could hear Shu's footsteps, aware of his presence now. When she finished the first stanza of the song, she turned around to find Shu in tears. However, she ignored it and continued walking down towards him.

"Listen, Shu..." She got closer and closer to him, and smiled. "Don't hate yourself anymore."

"You don't have to blame yourself." She soothingly said, pulling him into a light embrace. She hugged him tighter and leaned her head onto his shoulder. "Being with you, I've learned to feel many things. It's all thanks you..." She said, pulling her head back up.

"Even if everyone says you're a liar... Even if you hate yourself... I'll be by your side." Inori confessed. She could feel Shu's tears drip onto her shoulder, his head raised slightly higher now. He tightly shut his eyes, trying to stop the tears. Inori comforted him, gently caressing his cheek with her right hand. She pulled him in closer and let him cry onto her shoulder.

Inori could sense that an endlave had discovered them and was nearby. She finally let go of Shu.

Shu croaked, "Inori..."

"Let's go." Inori said, slightly smiling.

"Huh?"

"They're all looking for me, so I'll be the decoy. Use that time..."

"You can't do that!" Shu yelled, gripping onto her arms. "If it's worth sacrificing yourself, then I should!– "

Inori didn't say anything. Instead, she lightly tapped Shu's forehead with her finger, using Mana's powers to put him to sleep.

"I-Inori..." He forced out, slowly falling unconscious.

"Sweet dreams, Shu..." She whispered, gently laying him down. She bent down and caressed his cheek, slowly moving her face closer to his. She softly kissed him on the lips. Inori removed her red hair clip and gently placed it in his hand, and she ran away, determined to use her power to save Shu.

She exited the building and exposed herself to the enemy. She was okay now. Inori accepted the truth. However, instead of giving up and wallowing herself in sadness in fear, she decided to use her new found powers to help Shu. _All this time... Shu has been protecting me... Now it's my turn to protect him! _

Inori loved him too much to let him suffer anymore. For his sake, she would fight. If the only way she could save him was to sacrifice herself, then so be it. She was prepared for the risk and accepted her fate.

Inori transformed, using Mana's power, into a completely different form. It tore her clothes, her hair turned wavy and wild, and sharp crystal blades extended out of her arms and her back. Tiny crystal shards appeared on her cheeks and a couple slightly outlined her eyes. She swiftly charge towards an endlave and sliced it down with ease.

"Haaah!" She ran towards another one, leaping into the air, slicing endlave behind it began to fire at Inori. However, she quickly dodged all the bullets and leaped into the air, effectively slicing the large robot's head off. She landed perfectly. However, the explosion from the endlave behind her, blasted her forward, causing Inori to scream in pain. With all her willpower, she managed to push herself back up. _I'm fine with being a monster... _Inori panted and took in quick shallow breaths. _I'm fine with having fake emotions... _She forced herself up. _But I'll protect Shu! Because I am me! _Inori charged forward, continuing to fight, not giving up for Shu's sake. _ Even if I'm just a fake... To me... I'm the only real one! _

She recklessly charged ahead and eventually, destroyed every single endlave. There was only one enemy left: _Gai. _She sprinted towards him, screaming, determined to win. However, Gai summoned a void, a giant crystallized bow, and aimed straight for her chest. Inori flew back as the arrow impacted her chest. The arrow suddenly transformed into crystal wire and completely wrapped around Inori's body, leaving her immobile.

"Tch... You monster..." Inori heard Gai say before blacking out.

_At least... Now... Shu is safe..._

* * *

><p>After the quick battle, everyone regrouped on the highest floor. Now that things weren't as chaotic, they could wind down a bit.<p>

Haruka glared at Segai and spat at him, "Why didn't you warn us we were being followed beforehand?"

Surprisingly, Segai simply admitted the truth, "I was actually secretly hoping that Shu would show up, and everything went _exactly _as I planned it to." He turned towards Haruka and shrugged, "But, honestly. It's a win-win situation, you see? You shouldn't be complaining."

"I-I guess..." She frowned, nervously fixing her sleeve. Haruka turned around hustled away, her heels clicking all the way across the room. However, she unexpectedly bumped into Rowan and staggered back, thrown off guard. "A-Ah! Sorry, Rowan!"

"Ah– No! It's fine. Really! Um..." He nervously adjusted his glasses. "So how are you doing, Haruka?"

She pursed her lips and knitted her brows together, "I honestly don't know how you can stand working under that guy! He's so... _irritating_!"

"Segai? Irritating? Well... He's more intimidating than irritating, I would say."

The chestnut haired woman chuckled, "I guess you've got a point there." She then sighed, her lips turning into a slight frown. "But still... I don't understand what he wants from Shu..."

Rowan was slightly taken aback by her sudden statement. He stuttered, "W-Well... I guess it's best you keep your nose out of his business... He's... um... F-Forget I said anything! He just has... certain things he finds interesting. Let's just leave it at that."

"Hm?" Haruka curiously tilted her head, wanting to find out more. However, she quickly dropped the subject and assumed that she was better off not knowing. After all, her son was safe now. Deep down inside, she still felt guilty about what she had done to "protect" him. Yes. Maybe having his arm cut off was a bit... extreme, and she would probably never forgive herself for it. However, seeing her precious son alive and well made her overjoyed. Yes. She was worried. Any normal mother would be. However, she had this sudden tinge of hope that everything would turn out to be okay.

_I hope I'm doing the right thing..._

* * *

><p>Tsugumi moved slightly closer to Daryl and smirked, "So, Daryl?" She playfully sang.<p>

"Hm?"

"You were being awfully _protective_ back there..."

Daryl was quick to retaliate, as usual. "W-What do you mean? That's absurd! Why would I!– "

Tsugumi giggled, deciding to push her teasing even further. "Do you really love me _that_ much?"

His face quickly grew flushed, a light tint of red suddenly covering his whole entire face.

_Jackpot! _Tsugumi snickered and then quickly planted a kiss on his lips.

"Mmrrph!"

She stepped away from him and carefully examined his response. He was mouthing something incomprehensible, obviously at a loss of words. _My teasing was successful once again! Gosh he's cute when he's embarrassed. _

Tsugumi flashed him a smile. "Speechless? How cute." Then she quickly grabbed his hand and grinned. "Come on, Daryl! We gotta prepare for the final battle!"

"H-How?" He asked, still taken aback by the kiss. Daryl frowned. "This better not be a prank or anything like that."

"Well..." She sang, pulling him downstairs. "You need to choose an endlave, don't you? Think of it like Christmas, but better!"

Daryl was reluctant at first, but eventually gave in. She led Daryl down into the basement, which was, to his surprise, _gigantic_. When he walked in, he was greeted by multiple endlaves, one of them being... his precious Steiner. His face instantly brightened and grinned.

"My precious baby, Steiner!" He yelled, running towards the massive robot like a little kid. Daryl hugged its large mechanical leg, his arm only wrapping halfway around it. However, unlike Daryl, Tsugumi wasn't as happy. She awkwardly stood behind him and pouted. _I wish he would hug me like that... and call me precious... _

Tsugumi shook her head and tried to forget about her jealousy. _No, Tsugumi! You shouldn't be jealous of a freaking robot! _"Aya-nee wrecked it up a bit, so we fixed it up and tweaked it a little. We messed around a bit, and now it moves slightly faster, more smoother. Steiner was already pretty fast, so we thought... Why not make it faster?"

She paused and waited for Daryl to say something, sighing. "Well? What do you think?"

"I _love _it." He finally said.

Tsugumi frowned. _I am so getting rid of this thing when all of this is over! _

Daryl playfully ran to Tsugumi and pulled her into a tight hug. "YOU'RE THE BEST!"

He then let her go and firmly placed his hands on her shoulders and crashed his lips onto hers. Tsugumi was too shocked to even kiss back. Although she, secretly, enjoyed it. He stepped back and smirked. "By the way... That was payback for earlier today."

Daryl turned around and stated making his way back to his endlave, causing Tsugumi to pout. "Hey! W-Wait!"

"I'm going to stay here a bit longer. I want to examine it a bit if that's okay with you." Daryl's playfulness quickly vanished, and his grin was now replaced by his usual frown. Tsugumi sighed and walked out of the room. "Fine! Do what you want. No one will really mind. Just don't break it or anything."

"Later." Daryl waved, flashing a smile at the cat-eared girl. She smiled back before disappearing up the stairs. _She seems kinda upset. Hmm. I can fix that later. First, I have to make sure that Steiner is in tip-top shape... I don't want anything to go unexpectedly wrong while I'm piloting it. _Daryl was carefully inspecting the large robot when he felt someone punch him in the gut, almost causing him to fall forward. He jerked his head to the left to see Ayase glaring straight at him.

"_That_ was for kissing her."

"Y-You saw that?"

Ayase nodded, her red eyes piercing through him. She sat up taller and huffed, "Oh, and... Don't feel all high and mighty just because you got your little play-thing back." She childishly remarked, "My endlave is newer and cooler-looking."

She pressed a nearby button, and an endlave rolled it. It was obsidian black with reddish-pink lines. It was somewhat bulkier than Daryl's Steiner but was just as strong.

Daryl made a snide remark, mischievously grinning. "Pfft. White is _way_ classier than black. Plus! My precious Steiner is _shinier._"

"Black is... is more dangerous looking!"

"Dark colored endlaves are _so _generic though!"

"Did you just call my endlave... _Generic_?"

Little did they know that Tsugumi was secretly trying to hold back her laughter on the stairwell. She snickered. _They're like little kids when they argue. At least they're getting along better now. Kind of. _Tsugumi sat down and leaned against the wall, eager to hear them argue over the color of their endlaves even longer. However, she found herself thinking about Daryl instead. Again. _I never knew he had such a playful side before though... Maybe I should force him to take me to an amusement park when all of this is over. Yeah... That would be nice. _Tsugumi smiled and continued to listen to her friends bicker for a while longer.

* * *

><p>Yahiro, Kanon, and Souta were cooped up in a small room, talking amongst themselves.<p>

Souta sighed and stared down at his hands, still upset over what Shu had done. "I don't get it. I just don't get it."

Kanon gently placed her hand on his shoulder. "It'll be okay, Souta. Don't worry about it too much. I know it's been rough... with Shu and all, but... I have a feeling that everything will turn out all right, okay? And besides! I'm sure there's a cure for the cancer out there somewhere! Someone just has to find it."

He shook his head. "Thanks, Kanon, but... Yeah, I'm upset with Shu taking my cancer and all, but... I just don't get why he bothered to help us! We _betrayed_ him! So why?"

Yahiro turned his head away, shamefully looking down. "I-I... I don't know..."

Kanon lightly touched Yahiro's arm. "Well think of it this way, guys. At least this means that we're all still friends, right?"

She sighed. "Look. I'm still upset... over..." Kanon's voice cracked, trying to force her old friend's name out. "_Hare... _But... In times like this... We have to trust and believe in Shu, right? We can't just sit and mope around. We have to support him because we're... We're still his friends. He decided to trust us even after all that we've done, so the least we can do is trust in him."

The boys sat there in silence, contemplating what she had just said. She ruffled her hair and sighed, trying to pull herself together. "_Hare... believed in him_, so we should too..." Kanon croaked, trying to hold back her tears. She looked down at the ground and twiddled her thumbs. "Well... That's all I have to say..."

"I think I should to talk to him. Apologize." Souta suddenly spoke. His lips curled into a faint smile. "You're right, Kanon. I can't sit here and mope around forever. I think... I have to make things right between us... before it's too late."

Kanon smiled and nodded, giving him her approval. However, she turned her head to look at Yahiro and frowned. "What's wrong, Yahiro? Are you still upset over, Shu?"

He shook his head. "No... I'm not upset over Shu anymore. I can't change what I've done, and it's too late to regret it now." He sternly replied. "But I'm just... suspicious. That's all."

"Suspicious?" Souta curiously asked, tilting his head to get a better look at Yahiro.

"Yeah. About those three GHQ guys. Especially that Daryl guy."

"Hmm..." Souta rubbed his chin, trying to remember everything he could about them. "Well... To be honest, Daryl seems like a pretty decent guy." His voice trailed off. "When he's around Tsugumi..."

Yahiro glared down at the ground. "Still. I don't trust him. I'm okay with that Rowan guy though. He seems normal. A bit _too _normal, but he seems harmless. That clown guy on the other hand. Everything about him seems suspicious."

Kanon pursed her lips. "He seems more bored than anything else, really. He spends most of his time on that old cellphone of his. That jester charm is _really_ cute though!" She exclaimed. "I actually kinda want one... Oh... And while we're on the topic of Daryl... He's actually kinda cute!" She grinned.

"When he's with Tsugumi..." She added, sulking. Her face then instantly brightened. "Hey! You don't think that they're– "

"Do you think so, Kanon?" Souta asked. "They're _always_ together and teasing each other!"

Yahiro sat there in silence, scowling the whole time. _They're really not taking this seriously enough! We're approaching the possible end of the world, and they're gossiping about someone's relationship? _He looked at his watch and sighed.

"We have a few minutes until Shu's briefing, so we should get going."

The trio got up and silently left the room, Yahiro still somewhat uneasy with their new comrades. _I'll just have to confront that guy later on. What Shu has to say is more important for now..._

Souta snapped Yahiro back into reality when he inquired, "Hey. Speaking of Shu... Where's Inori?"

The stern brunette sighed. "I have a feeling that we're about to find out..."

_They really are too upbeat, considering that there's an impending apocalypse tomorrow._

* * *

><p>Aah! I'm so, so sorry for the long wait, but it's finally here! THE FINAL BATTLE IS NEAR. DUN DUN DUNNN! Flashback with Inori. Ah. Fight scenes. My worst enemy. There's just something about them. They just never... click for me. Should write more of them in my free time. I got a short writer's block while writing this, so I made an AMV to temporarily get my mind off of it. That made me curious. When you have a writer's block, how do you deal with it? Just wondering.<p>

Anyways. I hope Yahiro, Souta, and Kanon were close to being in character. Especially Yahiro. Gosh. And Kanon to some extent. She was never really that memorable, to be honest. Other than that scene where she was crying over Hare. That broke my heart.

Next Chapter: Shu explains the situation and announces Inori's capture. Dargumi fluff. Yahiro confronting Daryl because he's a suspicious meanie. And preparations.

By the way... I'm just going to leave this here... **DARYL/STEINER. *shot***

**oh. And for those who remember: In the A/N, it said that I won't be writing anything for a while. I lied. I plan on writing an AU Zelink story after I finish this one, so... for those who are in the LoZ fandom, just wanted to give you a heads up.**


	15. Affection

_Affection_

Everyone gathered in the main room, waiting for Shu to begin his announcement. He cleared his throat and spoke as loud as he could, "I know that many of you have probably been wondering about this for a while, but... Gai has captured Inori. We are to infiltrate GHQ head quarters, stop the apocalypse, and bring back Inori. I don't want to make this too long, so I'll just get to the point. We will strike tomorrow afternoon, so start preparations. They most likely know that we are going to attack soon, so we should be ready for whatever they have in store for us. There are also a few ships set to set sail tomorrow night. We will board as many innocent people on them as possible for their safety, and... Thank you, everyone... That is all."

The room instantly cleared. Yahiro scanned the room and quickly ran towards Daryl. He tapped his shoulder and calmly asked, "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

Daryl nodded and ruffled Tsugumi's hair. "I'll be back in a bit, I guess."

He cautiously followed Yahiro into a smaller room and closed the door behind him. "So what do you want?"

Yahiro bluntly stated, "Long story short: I don't trust you, and why did you switch sides all of a sudden anyways?"

Daryl sighed and finally took a seat and rested his head on his palm. "First of all, they kind of broke me out of that dumb glass cell of mine. Courtesy of Tsugumi, of course.

"Wait what? Cell? Why the hell would you be imprisoned?"

Daryl forced a grin. "Insubordination." He sat up straight and eyed Yahiro curiously. "And besides... Shouldn't we all be suspicious of you too? I mean... You did kind of betray that poor guy."

"Tch..." Daryl saw him flinch ever-so-slightly. Yahiro spat, "I can't change what I did, but what I've done probably doesn't measure up to what you've done in the past! And back to the topic at hand... People don't just magically switch sides because some random cat-eared girl pranced into their life! I can probably understand why that Rowan guy is here, but!– "

"Actually! Rowan just got dragged into my mess."

"W-Whatever! A-Also! There's Segai! I don't understand why he's even here!"

"He's just obsessed with voids and Shu." He sighed and passively stared at Yahiro. "I can understand why you're suspicious though. Let's just leave it at: Tsugumi, I guess, helped me in many ways. She... changed me."

"Do you honestly expect me to believe that?" Yahiro snapped. He glared at Daryl, waiting for him to say something. He noticed his right eye twitch. Daryl's amethyst eyes pierced straight through Yahiro, somewhat paralyzing him.

"Is this what I get for trying to be nice?" Daryl yelled, flinging his arms into the air. "I don't see a point in trying to explain this to you anymore. You won't even believe a single thing I say! I was telling the truth, but no! You just had to be a complete jerk about it!"

"You're the one who just _had_ to bring up the fact that I betrayed him!"

"Well I don't see why you absolutely _have_ to know _why_ I turned good!"

"Stop acting like a kid!"

"_Me?_ Acting like a _kid?_ Pfft. Look who's talking! You're the one making accusations here!"

"At least I'm not a psychopath!"

Daryl grabbed him by the collar and shoved him up against the wall. "_What did you just call me?_" He raised his fist but hesitantly lowered it shortly after. His eyes widened at the realization of what he was about to do. Surprisingly, Yahiro was completely still.

He dropped his arms to his sides and glared up at Daryl, speaking in a raspy voice, "So? What are you waiting for? _Do it._"

Yahiro suddenly fell to the ground. Feeling his collar loosen, he quickly readjusted it and looked up at Daryl, confused. Daryl sighed and slowly made his way to the door. "I– Sorry. I guess I kind of stepped out of line there."

He slowly got up. Seeing a tinge of remorse in Daryl's eyes, he frowned. "I'm sorry too. I guess I was being a bit rash, and!– ...Good luck tomorrow..."

Daryl smirked, opening the door, "You too. Later."

He shut the door behind him and sighed. _That was close... If I didn't have any sense of self-control, I would've beaten him back there, but... Since I stopped... Does that mean that I've really changed? _The blonde nervously rubbed the back of his head and went to go look for Tsugumi. _I hope that didn't take too long. _When he entered the main room, she was gone. Daryl climbed the stairwell until he reached the highest floor and saw her sitting on the ground, gazing out the window. She was in deep thought, for she didn't even notice Daryl walk in. He broke Tsugumi out of her trance when he finally spoke, "So I see you're here again."

She let out a tiny yelp and quickly turned her head around to find that it was only Daryl. "Don't sneak up on me like that! You took an awfully long time."

Daryl took a seat next to her. He sat there and stared at her, waiting for her to say something. Instead, she said nothing and kept tilting her head from side to side.

"What's wrong?" Daryl inquired.

Tsugumi suddenly blurted out, "You better not do anything stupid tomorrow! Don't charge in like an idiot like you always do! You're just going to get blown up like you always do. You're always so reckless!"

His face reverted to his usual frown. "I know, I know! Sheesh. Don't worry too much. I'm not stupid."

She giggled, "Sorry~ I'm just worried."

"I know."

"But don't be afraid to let out your "Kill 'Em All Daryl" side tomorrow." Tsugumi playfully punched his arm. "Can't hold anything back at an important time like this, right?"

Daryl forced a smile and nodded in agreement. Daryl was, well, genuinely excited for the battle, but he was also worried. He felt somewhat sad realizing that if something went wrong, he wouldn't get a second chance. _No one would. _He was actually a little scared for the first time in his life, scared that he would lose Tsugumi, scared that he would lose people who were precious to him. He was also scared that he would die. Daryl had always managed to cheat death one way or another, but this time, it was different. There was no cheating death this time. The thought of everyone dying made him feel somewhat... _lonely_. He wrapped his arm around Tsugumi's waist and pulled her closer to him, allowing her to rest her head on his shoulder. He heard Rowan's words echo inside his head.

"_I always knew you were a good kid deep down inside!"_

And for the first time, he agreed with Rowan.

He had finally found someone who actually cared about him, something he had longed for for the longest time, and he wasn't going to let some incestuous-crazed sister take it away from him. Perhaps he was being a tiny bit selfish. Daryl wasn't the type of person to waste time doing soul searching, but hey. The world was about to end, so he thought, "Why the hell not?"

And after lots of thinking, Daryl came to a conclusion. He lightly nudged Tsugumi, "Hey, Tsugumi?"

"Hm?"

"Now that I think about it... I was a freaking _douche bag_ back then."

His comment made Tsugumi burst out laughing. "Oh my gosh, Daryl!" She buried her face in the crook of his neck. "You just now realized this?"

"W-What's with that reaction?" Daryl instinctively pushed her off of him and frowned. She tried to give him a hug, but instead of reciprocating, he planted his hand on her cheek, preventing her from getting any closer to him. Tsugumi started to childishly flail her arms.

"Daryl! I'm so~rry! Now let me hug you!"

"No."

"But why?" She cried.

"Because! Just... because!"

Tsugumi stopped flailing her arms and gently pushed Daryl's arm down. She held his hand in hers and frowned, "I'm sorry, Daryl. I really am."

Daryl felt his face grow hot. He pouted, "I'm sorry too... I was being... childish..." He quickly added, "But you were being childish too, so!..."

Tsugumi smiled and playfully pinched Daryl's cheek. "Aww! You're so sweet, Daryl. You never apologize that easily." She noticed his cheeks growing slightly redder, and her face softened. "Come on, Daryl. It's getting late. We should go to bed now." She suggested, looking up at the dark, starry sky. He simply smiled and nodded. Daryl quickly got up, and helped Tsugumi get up right after.

Daryl was unusually silent. He was still thinking. However, he had changed topics. It took a while for him to accept the fact that he had changed, but he decided that it was for the best if he didn't think so hard about it. His mind had shifted to Tsugumi. He hadn't given it much thought lately, but the more the topic was brought it, the more it bothered him. Was he in love with her? When he thought about it, he realized that he had never felt so... _happy_ before. Before he met Tsugumi, he was irritable and vain, and now he was, well, irritable, vain, and a nicer, happier person if that made any sense. Daryl treated her completely different compared to everyone else. He loved to tease her. He felt compelled to please her and make her smile.

Was this what people called affection?

Daryl asked himself the same question once more, and this time, it hit him all at once. After all this time, he had finally realized it.

_I-I love her?_

_I love Tsugumi..._

Before he knew it, they had reached their room. Tsugumi snapped him out of his thoughts. "Daryl? What's wrong?" She asked, shutting the door behind her. "You've been awfully quiet lately."

Daryl suddenly grabbed her shoulders and gazed into her dark eyes. "Tsugumi, I..."

"Daryl?"

"Remember when I promised that we'd be good friends forever or something like that?" He asked all of a sudden.

Tsugumi slowly nodded, confused as to why he was asking about this all of a sudden. He continued, "Well... I-I don't think I can... keep that promise."

"But why?" She pressed. "What do you mean? Don't tell me that you intend to throw your life away out there!"

The blonde jumped slightly at her tone of voice. "No, no! I didn't mean it like that. It's just that... I kind of... Well, okay. Maybe not kind of, but..." His voice trailed off until it was almost inaudible, "I want to be– I want _us_ to be more... more than that... so..."

That's when he said it. After all this time, he finally said it, the words Tsugumi had been waiting for for the longest time.

"I love you!"

He tilted her chin up and leaned down. Tsugumi wrapped her arms around his neck and closed the gap, pressing her soft lips against his. They slightly parted and both smiled.

"I love you too, Daryl!" She flung her arms around him and pulled him into a tight hug. On her face was a big goofy grin, and Daryl couldn't help but smile back as well. Having his feelings reciprocated was probably the best thing to ever happen in his whole life. For now, that is.

_I don't know why, but for some reason, I'm really, really, REALLY happy! Stop it, Daryl! Stop. Now. Stop before you become a hopeless romantic!_

They both climbed into bed. Tsugumi was quick to cuddle up against Daryl. She rested her head on his chest like she always did. Daryl wrapped his arms around her, enveloping her in warmth. It was practically a daily routine now that he thought about it, and now that he thought about it, he was thinking an _awful _lot today. He rested his head on top of hers and mumbled, "Stupid runt... Making me fall in love with her."

This caused Tsugumi to giggle. "Stupid sprout. Why do you always have to be so cute? You're always so nice to me! Then you try to cover it up by acting mean. How precious is that?" She laughed. "Oh wait! Don't tell me... Isn't this what people call a..._ tsundere_?"

"Shut up, runt."

"Nee, _nee_, Daryl?"

"What is it now?"

"I've been thinking... Once all of this is over, I'm going to start going to school again."

"H-Huh? And why are you telling me this?"

Tsugumi grinned, "You should go to school too! If you do, then we'll all be in the same school! Shu, Inoreen, Aya-nee, Yahiro, Souta, Kanon, and me! It'd be _so_ much fun! Well. I would be in a lower grade level, but still! What do you say?"

Daryl rolled onto his side, facing away from Tsugumi. "I-I'll think about it..."

She cheered, "Yay! I'm going to take that as a yes!" Tsugumi hugged Daryl from behind and softly smiled to herself. "Trust me, Daryl... You won't regret anything! Trust me!"

Daryl deeply sighed, "Okay, okay. Fine! Whatever you say." He smiled and hugged her back, causing her grin to grow wider. He closed his eyes and was about to drift off into sleep when he heard her whisper, "Good night."

"Good night, Tsugumi." He looked down at her, and that's when he realized something.

"Hey... You do know that you're still wearing your headband, right?"

"What?" Tsugumi jolted up, and nervously laughed. "Whoops! I was so happy, I completely forgot about it."

She slid her headband off her head and gently placed it on the table next to the bed. Tsugumi then fell back into Daryl's arms. "Okay! Now good night, Daryl!"

"Whatever." He smirked.

"Actually! One more thing!" Tsugumi chirped. "About going to school and stuff! That means that we'll be able to have school festivals! Remember? That's how we met! Sorry for not letting you sleep, but it just kinda popped into my head."

Daryl smiled to himself, remembering the day they had met.

* * *

><p>He was minding his own business, upset that he was ordered to go undercover at the school festival<em>. <em>"Why are they holding a festival at a time like this?"

Daryl was adjusting his glasses when a girl with long violet hair suddenly bumped into him. He staggered backwards, holding onto his glasses, making sure that they didn't fall off. The girl was holding two gigantic boxes filled with what appeared to be costumes and props. He placed his hands on his hips and frowned, "Hey, that hurt! What would you do if I got injured? Be more careful next time."

She simply grinned, "Sorry, sorry! But you're just in time! I could use a little help!"

She unexpectedly threw the boxes into Daryl's arms, causing him to struggle with the sudden weight in his arms. "Wait! Why do I?–"

When he thought that this was all she was going to make him carry, she suddenly piled on two more bags, causing him to stagger back and forth. "Oh! And these too, please!"

Daryl almost fell forward, but he quickly regained proper footing. "S-So... Where do you want these?" He grunted.

She pointed behind him and smiled, "Over there!" She skipped on over to their destination, her violet tresses bouncing behind her. Daryl followed, a prominent scowl on his face now. _I can't believe I'm doing this right now! _When he looked ahead, he noticed that she had disappeared. "Where the hell is she now?"

When he reached where she told him to go, he dropped the boxes without a moment's hesitation against the wall. He plopped himself down onto the ground, panting. "Why do I have to do all this work?"

He heard her voice on the other side of the boxes. He jerked his head to the right and frowned. She leaned over the boxes and bluntly said, "You're such a weakling."

"It's just because you gave me too much at once all of a sudden! I wasn't prepared!" He rudely yelled.

However, to his surprise, the girl simply tilted her head and smiled. She extended her arm and held out something... weird. It was a bright red _thing_ on a stick. "Oh well. Here! Take this and cheer up!"

"What is this?" He asked, curious to know what she was holding.

"Your reward."

Daryl turned his head away from her and rejected her offer, "I don't want that yucky food of yours." Suddenly, he noticed a large shadow looming over him. He gazed up to see the girl standing right in front of him.

She put her hands on her hips and frowned. "When someone does something nice for you... Shut up and accept it!"

The girl lunged towards him, trying to shove the candied apple in his face.

"S-Stop it!" Daryl screamed. He tightly gripped onto her wrist, keeping the candy from getting any closer to his face. "I don't want it! Leave me alone!"

"Hohohoho!" Her laugh sent shivers down his spine. "No! Take it! Come on! Just try it. It tastes _really_ good!"

Daryl was struggling to keep her away. He was pretty much cornered, to a certain extent. She got down on her knees and planted her hand on the ground to his left, preventing his escape. Daryl frantically looked to his left. Half of her body was in his way, and to his right were the large boxes. _Shit! If I knock the boxes down, I can escape, but I might draw attention... And if I do knock them down, she's most likely going to chase after me and force me to clean it up. I can't blow my cover... If she does chase me, that could mean bad news..._

The girl noticed that he had stopped struggling for a moment and took the opportunity to shove the candy onto his lips. Daryl noticed this and tightly shut his lips, not wanting to taste it.

She pouted, "Come on! One taste can't hurt, right?" She was practically begging him now. The girl gazed deeply into his bright purple eyes. Her eyes were practically sparkling, almost hypnotizing. "Puh-lease! Please! Just one lick. I promise!" Suddenly, her eyes lowered to the bright red candy, and her eyes twinkled mischievously. "Or perhaps... You would rather _me_ give you a taste myself?"

Realizing what she was hinting at doing, Daryl quickly snatched the treat out of her hand and reluctantly licked it. "There! I tried it! Happy?" He cursed under his breath. "Stupid runt..."

She quickly nodded. "So? Like it? How does it taste."

Daryl pouted, trying to avoid her gaze. "It's... sweet."

"Do you like it?"

"I-I guess... I like sweet stuff..."

"Now what do you say?"

"Huh?"

The girl helped him up, frowning at his rudeness.

Daryl stuttered, "O-Oh... Thank you?"

"You're welcome." She grinned. She looked down at Daryl's wrist and noticed that he was wearing a watch. "Say, what time is it?"

Daryl turned his wrist and examined his watch. "6:52."

"Oh crap! Sorry, but I have to go! Hope you enjoy the candy! See you later, I guess?"

"Yeah... I guess..."

Before leaving, she quickly added, "By the way! Nicknames like 'stupid runt' aren't very nice, for you information!"

"Whatever!"

She simply smiled and waved good-bye before finally leaving. Daryl sighed in relief. "She's finally gone..." He turned on his earpiece as he left the campus.

"_So are all of them there?"_

"Yes. Everyone is there. Ouma Shu and Yuzuriha Inori." He answered.

"_Good work, Lieutenant."_

With that, Daryl turned off his communication device and slightly twirled the treat in his hand. He eyed it suspiciously and took two more quick licks. "Seriously... what is this thing?"

He pushed up his glasses and scowled, "I swear...The next time I see that runt, I'm going to torment her!"

* * *

><p>"Yes. I remember a little bit too well." He sighed. <em>And instead of me tormenting her, she ended up tormenting me instead...<em>

Tsugumi giggled at her fond memory and was slowly falling asleep.

"Wait a moment!" She suddenly exclaimed. Tsugumi sat straight up after coming to a sudden revelation.

"What is it?"

"Remember when you confessed a few minutes ago? You said that we promised that we'd be good friends forever. We never made a promise like that!"

"Well... If that's the case... Then I take back everything I said before!"

Tsugumi nearly kicked him off the bed after hearing his comment. "What do you mean '_take back everything I said before_'? You can't take back something as big as that! Daryl Yan!– "

"I'm sorry! I love you _very, very much_, my _dearest Tsugumi._ Happy now?"

Daryl was about to fall off the bed when he felt her arms securely wrap around his waist. "Okay. I like it when you hug me and all, but I'm about to fall off the bed."

"Whoops! My bad! But, hey. It could've been worse."

"Like...You could've actually kicked me off the bed and injure me?" He scoffed.

"Shut up before I actually _do _kick you off the bed, sprout." She coldly suggested.

Daryl grinned as he suddenly wrapped his arms around Tsugumi. "Whatever. Now go to bed. It's late."

Tsugumi rested her head in the crook of his neck and smiled softly to herself. _So he really does love me..._

"Good night, Daryl."

* * *

><p><em>Ugh! Distractions are the worst things in the world! *coughtheinternetcough* At least I'm finally done with this chapter! As you guys can probably tell, the story should be wrapping up soon. I plan on covering the whole battle in the next chapter, but I may just end up splitting it into two chapters. I'm not sure how many chapters there will be left, but there will be an epilogue or two. There will be a few epilogue chapters because, hey. We gotta know whether Daryl lives up to his promises, but they'll be more like separate one-shots than anything else. I just don't feel that I should upload them as separate stories though.<em>

_But haha. I guess you all didn't expect a confession in this chapter! BECAUSE NEITHER DID I. I feel kinda silly though. When writing this chapter, I kept pulling up my own fanfic online to skim through all my chapters because I couldn't remember anything I needed to for this chapter *facepalm*. Silly me. _

_So canon-wise, the only things left to cover are: Shu making up with his friends, so they can be all buddy-buddy again, Dramatic final battle with a badass segway, Inori turning into Mana and revealing Gai's true intentions (which I don't know if I should even include the Gai part). I need to decide on whether I should incorporate Gespenst in this story. And I need to fix that sad excuse of an ending._

_Well! Until next time! Thank you for following this story and putting up with me for so long! It's hard for me to believe that I published this in February (woooaahh). Comment/Review! Whatever. Thank you!_

_Edit: Ugh, so as stated before, I am planning on writing an AU Zelink story... I thought I had a pretty decent idea... Then all of a sudden at like 1 FREAKING AM IN THE MORNING, I GOT AN EVEN BETTER IDEA. Don't you hate inspiration's timing? I've been thinking about starting on Chapter 1 for it before I totally forget about it, so the next chapter for "I Promise" may be slightly delayed. I want to get the story up and running before all my free time in Summer is gone. So just giving you all a heads up (for once *shame*) that the next chapter may be delayed slightly. And if you want to know more about the story, just check my bio/profile whatever it's called._


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